Tug of War
by Ms. Catherine Willmon 2014
Summary: Full summary inside. Based on a challenge. Please R&R!
1. First meeting

**Title: Tug of War**

**Characters/Parings: The Rock/Maria/Shane McMahon; Randy/Gail; Cena/Eve; Lita/Triple H; Melina/John Morrison; Wade Barrett/Layla, more later on.**

**Rating: Strong PG-13/Strong R**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Can't sue me. You know the damn deal.**

**Setting/Classification: Drama, AU, Romance, Violence, Angst**

**Spoilers/Notes: The Rock's return on 2-14-11. Maria and Lita never left. Layla moved over to RAW after her dissolution with Michelle McCool. **

**Summary: Shane McMahon had bedded at least have the divas who came his way. But there's one particular woman he wants and he's not gonna stop until he get what he wants. However, The Rock's return to wrestling has caught this woman's eye and feelings develop between them, causing Shane to spiral out of control. It's a story of love, possession, control, finding yourself and learning to protect yourself.**

**Author's note: This comes from a challenge that was laid out for me and I have to admit, I've been thinking about this concept for quite some time. And with the Rock back for Wrestlemania, I thought this is perfect for me to put this story out. Besides, 'Rough Peril' is winding down and I'm looking forward to a new direction.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Monday Night RAW_

_Orlando, Florida_

_February 14, 2011 (Valentine's day)_

Shane Brandon McMahon, the only son of the powerful McMahon family bides his time. He looks around the arena to see which diva will he able to get into his bed after the show. It's no secret that he's handsome, successful, wealthy and with his boyish good looks, he could get any woman he wanted. And, over the last several years, he has.

When his divorce from Marissa Mazzola became final four years ago, he couldn't wait to get back on the market. He began getting his hands on any diva who came his way. He was proud of being single again and the benefits of not having to be tied down. After being married for almost 16 years, the excitement of having fun again was taken away from him. He loved Marissa, but she was a boring wife. However, the two times they did have sex did produce two beautiful boys, Declan and Avery. He'd never regret them. Not now, not ever.

He's glad to be back to work. When Vince approached him with the idea of the only McMahon son running Monday Night RAW again, Shane gladly took the opportunity.

As he scans for the next available diva to fill his bed, he paid attention to one particular diva walking by him. Tall, beautiful and fierce, she exudes sex appeal and confidence he'd only seen in female celebrities. And it didn't hurt that she was also exotic looking as well.

Shane knew he had to have her.

However, he didn't want one night with her. He actually could see himself being with her in the long run. The Greek beauty wasn't like the other divas he had slept with. He looked forward to a challenge and she was perfect for him to get his hands on.

After tonight, Maria Jade Kanellis would be his. Now and forever.

He checked himself in the mirror to make sure he looked right, then he walked over to where Maria was standing. She was talking with two other divas, Layla El and Eve Torres about tonight's big Valentine's day show. Maybe it has something do with a special guest making a surprise appearance to make a blockbuster announcement about Wrestlemania.

"I wonder who it could be?" Eve asked, looking excited. The two time divas champion and 2007 diva search winner looked stunning in her purple ensemble.

"I don't know, girl. All I know is, it's a huge superstar from the past and he's gonna tear the house down," Layla beamed. The 2006 diva search winner and former women's champion couldn't contain her excitement wanting to know who's gonna show up tonight.

"I can't wait to find out who. The anticipation is killing me!" Maria squealed. Her mood quickly changed when Shane McMahon joined the fray.

"Ladies, you're looking lovely as usual. I was wondering if I could steal Maria away for a minute," he suggested with that cocky grin on his face.

Maria rolled her eyes in annoyance, but she allowed him to lead her away from the two ladies. They both went around the corner, disappearing from everyone in sight and ended up walking down a deserted hallway. Shane had his hand on her lower back, which surprisingly made her tingle. A little bit.

"Maria, you look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her ear.

"T-thank you," she stammered.

"Listen, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tonight; say, after the show perhaps?" he asked, getting right to the point.

"Dinner? With you? I don't know, Shane. You have quite a reputation around here," she said, trying to turn away from him.

"Darling, don't believe the hype. I'm not that bad. Besides, I don't listen to office gossip. You shouldn't have to, either," he tried to assure her.

She finally looked at him with a sigh. "Listen, let's make one thing clear, okay? I'm not gonna be another one of your conquests. I don't sleep around just to get ahead. So, if we're gonna have dinner, it's gonna be strictly professional. Do I make myself clear?" she demanded with a slight glare on her face.

Shane put his hands up in defense, playing it off as if he understood everything she said. "I understand, Maria. I have nothing but respect for you."

"Okay, then. I have to get ready for the show. I'm on the card tonight. I guess I'll see you later," she said as she turned on her heel and walked away.

He had that same cocky smirk on his face as he watched her leave. With that body and that confidence, there's no way their dinner date is gonna be professional.

He will have her in his bed before it's all said and done.

Meanwhile, Maria was heading towards catering when she bumped into someone; causing her to fall down on the floor. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt, but she was about to cuss this person out for bumping into her when she looked up and gasped at the sight of him.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry for running into you. I wasn't looking where I was going," he said as he extended his hand to help her.

Still in awe at the sight of him, she felt her hand slip into his as he gently pulled her up on her feet. To her surprise and delight, he never let go of her hand.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she said, her voice soft and supple.

He smiled at her. "I'm glad you're not gonna take my head off. I'm just so excited about tonight's show."

"So am I. I can't wait to find out who's gonna be hosting Wrestlemania this year," she replied with a grin on her face.

"Hey, can I let you in on a little secret?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one was watching them.

"Sure. I won't say anything," she whispered. Her heart started beating madly when he leaned over and whispered something in her ear, which cause her eyes to go wide open in shock. Furthermore, she inadvertently moaned when she felt his hot breath on her face. God, she wanted to be that close to him forever.

"Now, you can't say anything until after the show at least. By the way, you look beautiful, little mama. I hope I'll see you around more often," he said as he leaned over once again and kissed her cheek. Then he walked away, leaving her standing there with a blush on her cheeks and the biggest grin on her face. She couldn't believe her luck. She got knocked down and then kissed on the cheek by the one and only Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, the one guy she had always been a fan of and even had a crush on..

As she walked away and prepared for tonight's huge show, she failed to notice a certain someone was watching the whole thing from behind the crates. He had an angry scowl on his face because he couldn't believe he saw his woman being kissed by the one man he despised. And he couldn't believe that she would fall for someone like him. He's hell bent on getting rid of the competition before Wrestlemania.

Straightening himself out, Shane walked away and began thinking about what he's gonna do to get rid of The Rock. He'll be damned if he'll lose to that wannabe Hollywood jackass.

X

_Holiday Inn_

_Orlando, Florida_

_February 14, 2011 (Valentine's Day)_

After the show (which turned out to be huge), Maria headed back to her hotel room to change into a simple black sleeveless halter dress. She had a dinner date with Shane McMahon tonight and she wants to look decent enough because as she told him before, she's not gonna be another one of his conquests and she's doesn't sleep around just to get ahead.

A knock on her door interrupted her train of thoughts. Checking herself in the mirror one more time, she walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. Sure enough, Shane was standing out in the hallway and he was holding a bouquet of flowers in his arms. Sighing, she finally opened the door.

"Wow! You look amazing," he whistled at the sight of her.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she replied with a slight smile on her face. And she wasn't lying that he looked good, either. He looked devilishly handsome in his dark blue Armani suit.

"Thank you very much, beautiful. I was wondering if you would like some Italian food," he suggest as he watched her step out into the hallways with him and closed the door behind her.

"Sure. I love Italian," she replied with a slight smirk on her face. Even though this was a professional dinner date with the boss's son, she had a sinking feeling that tonight was gonna be anything but professional.

"Well, there's this Italian restaurant not too far from here," he said as he grabbed her hand and proceeded to head towards the elevators. Shane and Maria didn't notice a certain someone peeking right outside his hotel room through the door and seeing them head towards the elevators.

Truth be told, he was slightly crushed. He was hoping that he would be able to have dinner with the Greek goddess because he had a little crush on her as well. He hasn't been out on a date since his divorce almost four years ago. And though he has joint custody of his 9-year-old-daughter Simone, he missed the feeling of waking up next to a woman. Hell, he's 38, single, still good looking and knows how to drive women crazy.

Sighing deeply, he closed the door and decided to head for bed. He'll have his chance to get to know Maria since he's traveling with the WWE again.

Meanwhile, Shane and Maria made their way towards the lobby of the hotel, where several other WWE superstars and divas were lounging around. One look at Maria being with Shane and everyone turned to look at them. Some had perplexed looks on their faces, others just shook their heads. It was obvious that Shane has once again sunk his claws into another diva.

What they didn't know is that he has plans on keeping her for a very long time.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Maria runs into the Rock again and they have a pleasant conversation. Shane finds out about it and gets very angry; prompting him to confront her! What will happen? Stay tuned!**

**I decided to use Maria because it was a wide known fact that she's a big fan of The Rock! **

**Please review!**


	2. Punched

**The reviews for the first chapter has been amazing, thank you very much! And, I can assure you that I'm just getting started. This is the first time I'm writing Shane as a bad guy in any of my stories because I've read so many stories about him as the bad guy and let me tell you, it definitely got me intrigued. Furthermore, for my paring, I too thought it would be different for Rock and Maria to be together. And, they will be together in the long run. Believe me, there's so many twists and turns coming your way.**

**By the way, who's gonna be rooting for Chris Jericho when he's competing on **_**Dancing With the Stars**_**? I know I am!**

**One more thing, I don't like the new Nexus or the Corre. So, for the sake of this story, Nexus will be like they were last year.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Monday Night RAW_

_Air Canada Center_

_Toronto, Ontario, Canada_

_February 21, 2011 (Presidents' Day)_

Maria was heading down towards catering to get a bottle of water and maybe something to eat. Tonight was gearing up to be another big show and once again, she was on the card; competing in a mixed tag team match against Nexus' Wade Barrett and his girlfriend Layla. The twist to the match is Maria can choose who her partner should be. And she knows exactly who she wants to be her partner.

Sighing deeply, her thoughts then drifted towards her dinner date with Shane last week. She still didn't know why she allowed herself to be seen with the billion dollar son; knowing full and well about his shady reputation. It was pretty well known that he has slept with pretty much every single diva that came his way. Maria wouldn't be surprised if he slept with them while he was still married. After all, his marriage to Marissa appeared to be picture perfect, but something must've went wrong within the last few years.

Shaking her head, she continued to head down towards catering when she once again ran into someone; which resulted in her being knocked down on the floor. The Chicago native looked up and her body went into overdrive at the sight of the man standing over her.

"We meet again, little mama. Sorry we ran into each other again. I don't look where I'm going sometimes," Dwayne said with his pearly whites flashing across his face. He reached down and helped her up on her feet by grabbing her hand. To her delight, he never let go of her hand.

"God, we've gotta stop meeting like this. I can be such a klutz at times and being around you can be hazardous to my health," she joked. She looked into his beautiful brown eyes and blushed something terrible.

"Well, I'll be more careful next time. I don't want you getting hurt, beautiful," he smirked at the sight of her blushing. He moved to let go of her hand but breathed a sigh of relief when she squeezed his fingers; letting him know that she liked holding his hand.

"It's not your fault. Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. I was wondering if you would like to get back in the ring for one night only," she suggested with a smile on her face.

"Hmm, I haven't competed in a wrestling ring in a long time. Okay, what do you have in mind?" he agreed as they began walked down towards catering together.

"Well, I have a mixed tag team match tonight against Layla and Wade and the stipulation is I can have a partner of my choosing. So, I was hoping that you'd be my partner tonight. That is, if you don't mind?"

Dwayne stopped in his tracks and looked at her in wonder. Maria looked so cute when she's shy and being all proper and demure. He reached under her chin and lifted her face up with his finger. He wanted her to look at him when he responds.

"I say: _if you smell...what the Rock is cookin'_," he announced, which made them both laugh.

"Thank you so much! Wow! I'm teaming up with the people's champ!" she squealed with delight as she leaped right into his arms, catching him completely off guard. However, he quickly got over it and wrapped his strong arms around her waist. She actually feels so natural in his arms that he'd never want to let her go.

When she finally pulled away from him, she once again blushed. "I'm sorry about that, Dwayne."

He once again lifted her face with his index finger. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad to see you so excited."

"So, um, how's Hollywood treating you?" Maria asked, trying to make conversation.

"I can't complain, what can I say? How about you? Word is you're launching into a music career?" he asked, grinning at her.

"Yeah. I wrote and produced my own album. I also appeared on _Celebrity Apprentice. _I'm just trying to get my feet out there, you know?" she replied, smiling back at him.

"I know. It's good that you're doing something and getting support from Vince and company. Speaking of the McMahons, how was your dinner date with Shane?" he asked, cringing at the thought of Shane touching Maria like she was a piece of meat.

She just shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, it was dinner. It wasn't really spectacular, to say the least. When he was bragging about himself, he was being a little too friendly with me. Furthermore, he placed his hand on my knee, so I had to slap it away. I made it clear to him that we weren't gonna sleep together. I'm not gonna be anyone sex toy to be cast aside later for the next available bitch for him to conquer. I'm not that kind of girl."

He patter her shoulder with his hand, sending her over the edge because his hand felt so good against her skin. She just want him to keep touching her forever.

"I'm proud of you, Maria. Believe me, I've seen Shane had his share of divas; past and present. He tends to have one with him at times, then he discards her like she's trash. But, for future reference, I'd stay away from him, though. He has a problem of letting certain things go," Dwayne told her.

As they continued conversing with one another and sharing pleasant laughs, they failed to notice someone was watching them from the other end of the hallway. That person, who happened to be a female, smirked because it's been a long time since Maria talked to anyone; much less a man she was interested in. After her last relationship, which went bust thanks the jerk getting caught with another woman and even getting her pregnant, she told Maria to just lay low for a while until she's finally ready to get back out there.

However, her date with Shane McMahon last week was the talk of the locker room. There were so many different opinions about what happened that word of mouth started spreading quickly.

The woman turned on her heel and began walking away. She loves Maria like a sister, but Dwayne was right. Shane has a major problem letting certain things go and she has a sneaky suspicion that the only McMahon son has been eyeing the Greek Goddess for quite some time.

If Maria doesn't be careful, she's gonna end up in a world of trouble.

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_Air Canada Center_

_Toronto, Ontario, Canada_

_February 21, 2011 (Presidents' Day)_

Wade and Layla were already in the ring; waiting for their opponents to come out. They stood in the ring and was surrounded by a huge chorus of boos, but they didn't even care. Right now, they are the new power couple on RAW and no one can stop them.

For Layla, being on RAW with her boyfriend was truly a blessing and a fresh change. After being Michelle McCool's lackey for so long, she wanted to break out and do her own thing. Fortunately, Wade offered her an opportunity to reach greater heights by joining Nexus. She didn't hesitate in accepting her boyfriend's officer.

Maria's theme song blasted through the speakers and she came out to a thunderous of cheers. She waved at her fans and even jumped around on the ramp for a moment before she noticed a microphone laying right in front of her. She reached down and picked it up.

"I know what you're wondering why I'm out here? Well, I have good news for you! I found a partner! And, I think it's someone you all know very well," she beamed as she turned around and awaited for her partner to come out.

_If You Smell _started playing and the crowd went absolutely nuts when the Rock emerged in his wrestling gear. He stood next to Maria on the ramp and just continued soaking in the enormous cheers of the crowd for a second, then they made their way towards the ring. They both climbed in the ring and then Rock climbed up on the turnbuckle to pose for the crowd while Maria stood in the middle of the ring and posed.

Afterward, the bell rang.

It was a pretty exciting mixed tag team match. And based on his performance, Rock hasn't missed a beat. In fact, he actually looked and moved better in a long time.

However, backstage, while watching the match on the monitors, Shane was one pissed off son of a bitch. He couldn't believe Maria, the woman who should be with him, picked Rocky as her partner. Shane was even more incensed because he overheard a conversation between a couple of divas who were also very good friends with Maria and he found out that she and Rocky had a pleasant conversation when they ran into each other.

Shane cracked his knuckles and walked away from the monitors. As soon as Maria finishes her match, he's gonna have a very stern conversation with her.

He's not gonna let her out of his sight.

Back in the ring, Rocky just laid out Wade with his signature Rock Bottom. Then, standing in front of the fallen leader of Nexus, he pulled his elbow pad off his elbow, threw it in the crowd and performed the People's Elbow.

One, two, three, the match was over. Rock and Maria were declared victorious.

Wade and Layla quickly climbed out of the ring while Rock and Maria celebrated with the crowd. Once again, she leaped right into his arms, for which he caught her and twirled her around. Having her in his arms again felt so right. He never wanted to let her go.

And she never wanted to let him go, either.

They both climbed out of the ring and headed towards the ramp; for which they turned around and raised their arms up in the air. Then they turned around and walked through the curtains.

"That was amazing! Dwayne, thanks again for being my partner," Maria said as they made their way through the backstage area.

He smiled at her. "It's no problem, Lil' mama. Being in the ring again felt like a rush I never want to stop from having," he beamed as they both sat down on the crates. However, their plans to continue their conversation proved to be short lived because Shane came along and stopped them in their tracks.

"Maria, I need to speak with you now," he said, apparently out of breath and looking angry.

"What about?" she asked, looking confused.

"Just come with me, please," he pleaded, still looking angry.

Maria shrugged her shoulder and looked at Dwayne with a puzzled look on her face. "I'll catch up with you later."

"No problem," he said as he watched her hop off the crate and walked away with Shane trailing close behind. Dwayne cringed when he saw the McMahon heir grabbing her arm a little too tightly and whispering harshly in her ear. Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, he hopped off the crate and headed towards his locker room.

He'll be able to talk to her later on when things calmed down.

Meanwhile, Shane looked around to make sure no one was watching them, then he ended up pushing her against the wall. Maria screamed out in pain, but he clamped his hand over her mouth so no one could hear them.

"What the hell is that?" he hissed when he finally removed his hand away from her mouth.

"What are you talking about, Shane? What did I do wrong?" she asked, looking concerned and frantic.

"You know what the fuck I'm talking about! Why are you talking to the Rock?" he snapped.

"Because he's my friend. I'm allowed to have friends, you know," she snapped back.

"Oh, I don't think so. From what I heard, you were hanging all over him like a cheap little whore!" Shane screamed.

Maria was stunned. So much so, that she raised her hand up and was about to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist hard and yanked her towards him. She looked into his eyes and saw a man ready to kill.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

"No! You listen to me, Maria Jade. I don't want you hanging around Dwayne anymore. He's bad news and besides, you're my girl! You belong to me!" Shane roared.

She scoffed. "I don't belong to you! I don't belong to anyone. And since when I'm your girl? We had one dinner date and it wasn't all that, to say the least."

The next thing she knew, he punched her dead in her face. Shock and horror was all she could muster when she felt blood trickling down her nose. She looked at him with tears forming in her eyes while she held her nose with her hands.

"Don't you ever say that to me again! Or I'll do so much worse to your face!" he hissed, narrowing his eyes at her in anger and fury.

"Leave me alone," she sobbed as she turned on her heel and began walking away, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him once again.

"You don't walk away from me. No one rejects Shane McMahon and gets away with it. Now, I'm warning you; stay away from the Rock or there will be dire consequences. As far as I'm concerned, you and I are officially together," he warned before he leaned over and slanted his mouth on hers ruthlessly. Then, he released her by pushing her down on the floor and walking away from her.

Maria sat up and continued to hold her nose. Blood continued to trickle down her nostrils and she felt herself breaking down. For Shane to actually decking her in her face was an indication that she's not gonna be just another sex toy for him to discard. No, he's evolving into a person who'll be damned if he's gonna lose. If anything, losing was something the McMahon family would never do.

However, she had no idea that by being with Shane McMahon would prove to be a major danger to her life.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Shane and Maria officially comes out as a couple, much to Dwayne's dismay. Shane and Dwayne ended up exchanging heated words about Maria. And Maria ends up injured a match. Does Shane has anything to do with it? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	3. Threatened and injured

**I'm back with a brand new chapter. Truth be told, I've had some time to figure out how I want this chapter to turn out and I hope I did a good job with it. I have big plans for this story and there are so many twists and turns about the entangled romance between Rock, Maria and Shane. I'm actually gotten quite good with portraying Shane as the bad guy and this won't be the last time I'm gonna portray him that way. So, please, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**One more thing, there's a big twist coming up concerning Maria and I won't say anything about it right now; but, it's something that will change her and everyone's lives forever.**

**BTW, Wrestlemania's this Sunday and it's gonna be huge. I know Rock's gonna bring the house down with his hosting duties and, call me crazy, but I'm actually rooting for Snooki. Yeah, those fist pumping Italian got to me lol! **

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Monday Night RAW_

_Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada_

_February 28, 2011_

Maria showed up at the arena for tonight's show; wearing dark sunglasses and enough makeup to cover up the bruise that formed on the left of her face. She looked around to make sure she wasn't followed, but when she was about to turn around the corner, she felt someone was breathing down her neck. She didn't even wanna turn around to see who it is because she doesn't wanna deal with anyone for the time being.

"Going somewhere, beautiful?" a male voice called out to her.

Maria turned around and found herself face to face with the one and only Shane. She began to cringe.

"What do you want? I have to go," she told him, looking a little bit afraid.

"You're my girl, Maria. It's important for me to know where you are at all times," he told her, a smug look appearing on his face.

"We're not together, Shane; especially after what you did to me last week. I don't wanna deal with you, so please leave me alone," she warned as she turned to walk away. However, she didn't even take too steps when he reached over and grabbed her arm, then he yanked her back towards him.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

He glared at her. "Don't take that tone with me, Maria! Do you know who you're dealing with? I'm not the one to be messed with!" he growled.

"Please, just let me go. I just got out of a relationship with someone and he turned out to be just like what you're turning out to be. I'm not looking to land another boyfriend right now," she pleaded.

"That's too fucking bad, because I'm your boyfriend. Tonight, you and I are gonna make it official in front of the entire world and I expect you to be on your best behavior; or else, there'll be some serious consequences if you cross me," he warned as he threw her down on the floor and stood over her. Maria scoured back towards a nearby corner to create some distance.

"Do you understand me, Maria?" Shane snapped.

"L-leave me alone, please," she stammered, feeling tears forming in her brown eyes.

Shane wasn't satisfied with her answer, so he reached down and ran his fingers through her long red hair. He yanked her head towards him and she was forced to look into his brown eyes.

"I'm not gonna tell you again, bitch! Disrespect me one more time and I'll hurt you some more! Do you really wanna cross me, Maria?" he snarled right in her face.

She just shook her head and didn't say a word. There was no point in opening her mouth and saying something because he'll end up hurting her even more and that's something she doesn't want to happen.

"Now, do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, his voice sounding pressed.

She nodded her head quickly and felt more tears falling down her reddened face.

He slammed her head against the wall, blew a kiss at her, turned on his heel and walked away; leaving her alone in the now empty hallway. She wrapped her arms around her shaking body and began sobbing hysterically. She couldn't believe this was happening to her again. The guy she dated previously treated her the exact same way, which is the reason why she finally had the courage to leave him before she ended up six feet under. She made a personal vow not to let another man hurt her again.

However, escaping from Shane's clutches would be much harder than she anticipated.

But her saving grace would be right under her nose.

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada_

_February 28, 2011_

_Here's Come the Money _started blasting through the speakers and Shane came out through the curtains to a thunderous chorus of boos and nasty cat-calls. He strutted down the ramp without a care in the world, because he has something they wished he had: money, power, control and more importantly, a beautiful woman who's filling his bed every single night.

He hopped on the apron and climbed inside the ring, then he hopped around the ring; dancing and having a good time without even listening to the boos directed at him. Shane didn't care because he's gonna have the audience eating at the palm of his hand when it's all said and done.

Being Vincent Kennedy McMahon's son does have its benefits.

Tony Chimel, the ring announcer, handed Shane a microphone and as soon as his music died down, he placed the microphone against his lips.

"You can keep booing me all you want, but you're gonna be singing a whole new tune when I make my big announcement," Shane beamed, smiling smugly at the crowd, who kept booing him.

"As you can see, I'm sitting on top of the world right now because I, Shane Brandon McMahon, has a new girlfriend. And she just happens to be a diva," he announced. The boos got louder and louder.

"I'm not gonna waste anymore time, so here she is," he said, gesturing everyone to turn to the titantron.

Stunned silence filled the arena when Maria's theme song started blasting on the speakers. She came out through the curtains; tears streaming down her face and she was looking completely disheveled and withdrawn. Also, she was wearing her wrestling gear; which meant there was a strong possibility she could be competing tonight. As she made her way down the ramp and headed towards the arena, she raised her head up and looked at Shane, who had a evil smile on his face. She hopped on the apron and climbed into the ring, then he reached over and grabbed her hand; yanking her right next to him.

"That's right, ladies and gentlemen; Maria's my girlfriend. I'll be damned if I'll let her go. She and I are gonna be the most dominate force on RAW; me as the controller and her as the premier diva. Speaking of which, you, my lady, do have a match tonight," he told her.

She just nodded her head because she knew if she said anything or even complained, she would be on the receiving end of his fist.

"I've invited someone from SmackDown to come here and compete against you to be the number one contender for the unified diva's title. And that match will happen...right now," Shane announced before he climbed out of the ring. Maria turned to see who was her opponent. She hoped it wasn't Layla or Michelle because she couldn't deal with him for another night.

Kelly Kelly's theme song blasted on the speakers and the blond beauty appeared behind the curtains a moment later; doing her signature pose on top of the ramp. Maria breathed a sigh of relief because she and Kelly just happened to be very good friends in real life and that they would go easy on each other during the match. However, the match is for who's gonna face Eve Torres, the current diva's champion, so anything could happen at this point.

Meanwhile, Dwayne was watching the whole thing unfold backstage and shook his head in disbelief. He felt disappointed that the one woman he has a serious thing for was taken. Furthermore, from the way she looked, she didn't wanna be out there.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Shane coming from behind the curtains. He looked over his shoulder and quickly found Dwayne staring back at him. He knew he had to confront the other man and put him in his place.

"What are you looking at, movie star?" Shane snickered, glaring at the other man.

"You, who else?" Dwayne snickered back.

Shane went over to where Dwayne was standing and got right into his face.

"Let's make one thing clear, man: Maria's mine now and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you take her away from me. So, if you know what's good for you, stay away from her or you're gonna have to deal with the likes of me," Shane warned, snarling.

"First of all, you don't tell me what to do. Second of all, I know what you had done to her and I'm gonna expose your candy ass for everything you've done. I'm watching you. Furthermore, I don't have to stay away from Maria. She's my friend and I'm entitled to have female friends; unlike you!" Dwayne yelled.

Shane glared harshly at him. "I'm not gonna tell you again. Stay away from Maria or I'm gonna make sure you don't come back here. You may be all chummy with my father, but you're not gonna fool me. **Stay away from Maria!**"

"I don't think so, Shane. Like I said, she's my friend and I care about her. I know what your game is: you have the tendency to sleep with a woman and then dump her like a bad habit. I'm not gonna sit by and let you do that to Maria! She's a human being, not trash! So, if you know what's good for you, you'd stay away from her!" Dwayne screamed.

"She belongs to me now! I'm never letting her go! If I catch you anywhere near her, I'll even go so far to kill you! For the last time, stay away from Maria!" Shane screamed as he turned on his heel and stormed away in a fit of rage.

Shaking his head and huffing in anger, Dwayne focused his attention on the monitor. The match between Kelly Kelly and Maria was still going on and despite his hasty encounter with Shane, he was able to calm down enough to root for the beautiful redhead.

Speaking of Maria, she was holding her own against Kelly. It was a pretty entertaining match; with a lot of back and forth action. Towards the conclusion of the match, however, Kelly ended up inadvertently kicking Maria right in her head, causing her to go dizzy and she wound up having a seizure in the middle of the ring. Kelly, realizing that Maria was seriously hurt, gave the signal to the ref to stop the match, for which he did.

A few minutes later, officials, EMTs and several other superstars were in the ring tending to the fallen diva; including Dwayne, who ignored Shane's threats by picking her up in his strong arms and carrying her towards the back; much to the delight of the female fans who were screaming and chanting his name. When they got to the back, he put her on the stretcher and even walked to the ambulance, looking down at her seeing how hurt she was. Sighing deeply, he watched as they loaded her up inside the vehicle and watching it disappear. Because he wasn't immediately family, he wasn't allowed to ride with them to the hospital, he made a vow that he will visit her right after the show to see how she's doing.

"Kelly, what happened?" Dwayne asked when she approached him a moment later.

She had tears in her eyes when she looked at him. "The match was about to end and she was about to perform a bulldog at me. All of a sudden, my foot ended up connecting on the side of her head. Next thing I knew, she was getting dizzy and having a seizure. It was like everything was spiraling out of control."

He reached over and wrapped an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "It's okay, Kelly. I know you didn't do this on purpose."

"What about Shane? I mean, they're together now and I'm pretty sure he's gonna be upset when he finds out what happened to her."

_No, _he thought with a frustrated sigh. _Maria's nightmare is just beginning._

Little did he know, he was absolutely right.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Maria wakes in the hospital, only to end up on the receiving end of Shane's wrath once again. Dwayne starts getting proof of what Shane has done to Maria. And, Dwayne and Maria gets closer. Will Shane get in the way? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	4. First kiss

**Okay, so I'm back with a brand new chapter and it's gonna get really juicy. I have big plans for this story and the saga between Rock, Maria and Shane is just beginning. And, if you're wondering who that mystery woman is, all in good time. Believe me, she plays a major roll in this story and she does have history with Shane. All will be revealed in due time.**

**One more thing, I'm gonna miss Edge so much! He's one of the many superstars who was loved and despised throughout his career!**

**And, please take the time to send me some ideas on what should happen within the next couple of chapters. And, please, take your guesses on who should the mystery woman should be! **

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Local Hospital_

_Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada_

_February 28-March 1, 2011_

When Maria finally woke up, she had no idea where she was at first and that alone scared her. She blinked several times before finally opening her brown and realizing that she's laying in a hospital bed. Her head was throbbing and she felt like she was ran over by a mat truck. All she remembered was having a match with Kelly Kelly and was on her way to victory when she suddenly felt a kick to her head and ended up having a seizure. That was scary.

Maria tried to sit up, but every single bone in her body began to ache with pain. Groaning, she stayed where she was and closed her eyes again. Sighing deeply, she just wanted to get out of here because she hated hospitals. She should be back on the road; hanging out with her friends, entertaining the crowd and hopefully going out on a romantic date with someone. However, she's being tormented by Shane McMahon, embroiled in a friendship with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and she just wants to live her life without being someone's personal punching bag again.

She moved to signal the nurse to supply her with more medication, but a hand grabbed her wrist tightly. Maria opened her eyelids and ended up looking into the cold, daunting eyes of Shane Brandon McMahon.

This can't be good.

"You're really trying to piss me off, aren't you?" he seethed.

She couldn't say anything. Her brown eyes were filled with terror and worry because she couldn't do anything to protect herself.

"I saw the whole damn thing! You were carried out to the ambulance by that punk Dwayne! I told him to stay away from you because you're fucking mine! You belong to me! And what the hell happened in the ring?" he barked at her.

"I-I was kicked in the head by Kelly Kelly and wound up having a seizure. Please, you're hurting me," she begged, tears forming in her brown eyes.

"Nothing doing, you stupid little bitch! I told you before about defying me, but you're just determined to piss me off even further! I don't know why I even bother messing with you in the first place, but don't think I'm done with you!" he snarled right into her face.

"Please, leave me alone," she sobbed, burying her face in her free hand.

"Not gonna happen!" he snapped as he raised his hand up and slapped her hard across her face. Maria screamed out in pain, which pissed him off even more. He ended up pinning her down on the bed and proceeded to smack her around even more; trying to keep her from screaming even further. At one point, he clamped his hand over her mouth, but she somehow managed to bite his fingers. He screamed out in pain and jerked back, causing him to release her. Just then, two nurses came in to see what was going on.

"Is everything okay, Miss?" one nurse asked as she went over to tend to the redhead.

"No. This man attacked me and I want him gone," Maria sobbed.

"Do you want us to call the police, Miss?" another nurse asked as he grabbed Shane's arm and proceeded to escort him out of the room.

"No. Just get him out of here. And I don't want him around me anymore. If he does, then call the police," Maria said, turning away from the occupants in the room.

Shane let out an angry scream as he was being pushed out of the room by the male nurse. Once they were out of sight, Maria buried her face in her hands and continued crying her eyes out. She didn't know what to do or where will she go from here. Shane wasn't gonna leave her alone and there's no way in hell she's gonna be able to create enough distance so she could live her life. She refused to be a man's punching bag again and she's gonna let Shane know it too when she finally has the chance.

Speaking of Shane, he stood outside Maria's hospital room; huffing and puffing and angrily pacing around like a mad man. He contemplated going back in there and giving her a piece of her mind, but he'll be damned if he ends up in jail. Sighing angrily, he turned on his heel and walked away; realizing that he'll have his chance to get his hands on her again when she gets out of here.

However, as he was leaving, Dwayne emerged from around the corner with a smirk on his face and a camera in his hands. Phase one in exposing Shane McMahon for what he really is now under way.

_Sorry, Shane O Mac. Soon, not even your daddy's gonna save your narrow ass when I show this in front of the entire world. Then I'm gonna lay the smackdown on your rich candy ass._

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada_

_March 5, 2011_

Dragging her bags from behind her, Maria made her way down the hallway and headed towards the locker room. She was glad to be out of the hospital and back on the road; even though she was advised by her doctors to take it easy for a little while. Furthermore, she was glad to be back home and rest and not have to worry about Shane calling her constantly and bothering her night after night.

So far, she hasn't seen or heard from him, but she didn't know whether to consider that a good thing or not. The only son of the McMahon family has the tendency to be sneaky and conniving and you'd never know when he's gonna strike. Maria just wants to keep her eyes and ears open for anything.

As she was heading towards the locker room, she noticed Shane was coming out of his office with a diva in tow. They both were straightening out their clothes and sharing laughs while she just stood there; looking at them with a not so shocking look on her face. For a man who's been trying to get at her, he sure knows how to entice another woman without much effort. It was something she mentally kicked herself for because she too ended up falling for his charms.

Shane looked up and saw Maria standing on the other side of the hallway with a knowing look in her face. Smirking, he grabbed the diva and kissed her hard; trying to make the redhead look jealous. However, Maria just shook her head and walked right past them, which pissed the McMahon heir off. His plan didn't work.

"Don't worry about her, babe. She's not worth your time, anyway," Alicia Fox said seductively, running her finger up and down his broad shoulder.

Making sure that no one was in the hallway, he raised his hand up and slapped her hard across her face, knocking her down on the floor. Alicia looked up at him in shock and disbelief while holding her face in her hands and feeling tears brimming in her brown eyes.

"You stupid little cunt! You couldn't even do this right!" Shane seethed at her.

"W-what? What are you talking about?" she asked, stammering.

"Maria walked by us without even looking at us! You were supposed to be all over me and make her jealous! She doesn't even fucking care, you whore! I knew I shouldn't had picked you! Oh, and by the way, you weren't all that in the sack! I had way more better bitches in bed with me!" he snapped as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Laying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling in shock, Alicia realized that what she did was a mistake. Now, she's just ended up on Shane McMahon's list of divas he used, abused and then tossed aside like pieces of trash.

As Alicia got up from the floor and began walking away, Dwayne once again emerged from around the corner with a smile on his face and a camera in his hands. What he was doing turned out to be much easier than he thought because Shane keeps making mistakes. Mistakes that will ultimately come back and bite him in the ass big time.

_It's only a matter of time. Soon, everything you've done to the divas will be exposed. And I'm gonna enjoy every second of you falling on your stupid rich candy ass!_

Meanwhile, Maria arrived in the locker room and realized that it was completely empty. That proved to be a good thing for the time being because she didn't wanna deal with any unwanted questions or fellow divas pounding on her for information about her 'relationship' with Shane. If anything, being alone has its good moments. She can reflect and think without being bothered.

The redhead went over to her locker and began unpacking her things when she heard the door open, then closed. Getting scared, she quickly reached inside her bag and pulled out a pepper spray she's been carrying; mainly because back in her hometown of Chicago there's been a string of rape among young women withing the last several weeks and the women who weren't attacked were warned to be on guard at all times and don't travel alone.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" a man called out as he walked in. Maria peeked around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief when Dwayne stood right in the middle of the room.

"Rocky, not that I mind seeing you, but what are you doing here?" she asked when she emerged from her locker.

He smiled at her. "I was looking for you; to see how you're doing, that's all."

She smiled back at him. "I'm doing better. Doc said I need to take it easy for a little while, but I'll be back to normal in no time. However, I'm glad to be back on the road again. And I'm really glad to see you again."

He reached over and enveloped her in his strong arms. Surprised that he pulled a move like that, she didn't resist nor pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his broad shoulder. Suddenly, being in his arms felt right. She felt safe and secure and felt nothing could go wrong as long as she was with him.

Dwayne kissed her forehead gently and tightened his arms around her. It felt so good for him to hold her like this. He made a silent vow that he'll protect her no matter what it takes. Shane's not gonna be able to hurt this beautiful angel as long as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was around.

"I'm glad to see you again, Rocky," Maria said when they pulled apart.

"Same here, Lil' mama. Same here," he whispered back.

They looked at each other for a moment. Silence filled the air as they kept looking at each other; wondering what's gonna happen next. As if some force brought them together, their lips met in a heap of comfort, passion and tenderness. Maria closed her eyes and felt sparks exploding behind her eyelids and her knees began to buckle. She's never been kissed like this before and it's a good thing Dwayne was holding her because she would've melt in a puddle in an instant.

They were too busy being lost in each other that they didn't notice the door being cracked open and Shane poked his head through the cracked door and was angered at the sight of Maria and Rock holding and kissing each other in the middle of the locker room. He couldn't believe this was happening. Once again, he had to find his woman in the arms of the man he despise the most.

Shane balled his hands up into tight fists and contemplated whether or not to go in there and break it up. Then, he suddenly smiled. The boy wonder has been known for having something up his sleeve and he knew it's only a matter of time before he'll get his hands on Maria again and he'll be rid of Rocky once and for all.

And he knows the perfect person for the job as well.

_Enjoy him while it last, bitch! Soon, you'll be in my clutches again. And I'll never let you go!_

**Coming up in the next chapter: Shane meets up with the mysterious person, completely unaware that Rocky has followed them and videotapes the entire conversation. Maria runs into Shane again and stands up to him. And Rocky finally asks Maria out on date. Will Shane interfere? Stay tuned!**

**Let's have the suggestions coming!**

**Please review!**


	5. A past resurfaced

**I'm back with another explosive chapter. Some of you are wondering who's the mysterious man who's gonna help Shane try to break up Rock and Maria and let me tell you something, the person who used to date Maria is not Punk (even though he and Maria did date, I decided not to have him be the abusive man she used to be with). But, this person I will reveal will be somewhat surprising, to say the least. And, as far as Maria standing up to Shane, that also happens, but it's not gonna be the first time she does that. Believe me, the McMahon son will get his, but it's gonna be while because I still have a lot of twists and turns coming up.**

**One more thing, the mysterious person I'm gonna reveal, let me just say this is gonna be the first time I'm gonna write him as a total bad guy. And it's not gonna be the last, either.**

**BTW, I'm changing the rating of this story to 'M'. Let me just say that things will get more graphic as the story rolls along.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Monday Night RAW_

_St. Peterburg, Florida_

_March 12, 2011_

Shane was pacing around outside of the arena, waiting impatiently for the mysterious person to show up for their meeting. Time waits for no man, Shane thought and his patience was wearing thin. He was gonna do whatever it takes to get Maria in his clutches and he's gonna make sure that Dwayne goes away. Permanently.

A few minutes later, the mysterious finally show up; looking disheveled and he kept looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. Actually, he didn't really wanna be here because he had plans of his own. For a long time, he's been waiting for the day he finally gets his hands on a certain someone himself and he'll never let he go again.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting out here for almost an hour!" Shane screamed.

The mysterious man got angry and pushed him down on the ground. "I had to make sure I wasn't being followed. Now, what do you want?"

"I want Maria, but she's falling hard and fast for Dwayne Johnson. I want you to help me break them up. She belongs to me."

The man snorted. "You want me to help you get that stupid little bitch away from the Rock? You know I want her back myself!"

"What? That's not why I want to meet with you, prick! Maria's mine! I want her!" Shane screamed.

The man smiled. "You know, Shane, there's something you don't know about Maria. I had her first. She belonged to me. I had complete control over her; until she broke my heart and left me. Now, you want her, knowing full and well that I want her back. However, I think we can work together in getting what we want. We can take turns having our way with Maria."

"What? Are you kidding me? Why should I do that?" Shane snapped, finally getting up from the ground and standing face to face with the man he now regrets calling for assistance.

"Control, baby. Complete control. Maria broke my heart, so in getting her back, I can regain control of her. And, you? Come on. With all the money you have thanks to your daddy, there's no way Maria could be away from you. We can have it all. Think about it for a second," the man suggested.

Shane pondered at the thought for a moment. What his partner was saying did make sense. They both can have Maria and make sure Dwayne doesn't try anything to keep them away from her. A twisted smile appeared on his handsome face because this idea could work out after all. There's no way in hell Maria's gonna get away from him; and if she does, he has the power to get her fired.

"I like the idea. What shall we do first?" he asked.

As Shane and the mysterious started coming up with a plan on getting Maria, they had no idea that Dwayne was lurking in the shadows; his camera in his hands and he caught the whole conversation on tape. He shook his head because he couldn't believe Shane would stoop so low in getting Maria that he had to recruit her abusive ex, the man who almost tried to kill her to get what he wants. As if being the son of Vincent Kennedy McMahon was bad enough, Shane was now taking his power and advantage way too far.

Shaking his head once again, he kept filming and recording the conversation between Shane and the mysterious person. Dwayne knew that when the time is right, justice will track Shane Brandon McMahon down and that smug, cocky son of bitch's sinful ways will finally unravel.

After all, what's done in the dark will always come to light.

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_St. Peterburg, Florida_

_March 12, 2011_

Maria was heading down to makeup because she was on the card tonight in a divas tag team match. She was teaming up with Melina against Maryse and Michelle McCool. She was about to turn around the corner when she bumped into none other than Shane. He had an angry, but sick smile on his face.

"I don't have time for your foolishness, Shane. I have to get to makeup, plus I'm on the card tonight," she told him as she tried to get past him, but his hand made its way onto her stomach and pushed her back.

"You know, Maria, I didn't appreciate you walking by me last week and didn't have the courage to say hello. I'm hurt," he sassed, his face twisting in anger.

"That's because you were trying to make me jealous by making out with Alicia Fox. You knew it wasn't gonna work. That's why I saw her sporting a nasty bruise on her face the next time I ran into her," Maria said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Shane was furious. He couldn't believe Alicia went around showing off her bruise when she knows to cover it up. Trying to shake the image of the woman he regretfully slept with in an ill fated attempt to make Maria jealous out of his mind, he grabbed the redhead's arms roughly and yanked her towards him. If looks could kill, Shane would be found guilty.

"I told you to stay away from Dwayne, but you keep disrespecting me and undermining my authority. Furthermore, I had to find my woman making out with that clown! Seriously, are you trying to make me look so fucking bad? Do you love being a whore?" he screamed right in her face.

Maria snatched her arm away from him. "Excuse me? I'm not a whore and I'm not your woman! I can date whoever I want, whenever I want! I like Dwayne and he likes me! You, on the other hand, are the whore! A man-whore! You slept your way through every single diva of the WWE, and then you toss them aside like they were trash! Well, I have news for you, Shane-o-Mac: you're not gonna be pulling the same stunt on me, Maria Jade Kannellis! So, this is the first and the last time I'm gonna tell you this: LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE OR ELSE I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TELL YOUR FATHER OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO ME AND THE OTHER DIVAS! Vinny Mac happens to love me!"

Shane couldn't believe this bitch had the nerve to stand up to him like this. Never before has anyone talk down to the heir of the McMahon empire and actually can back up his/her words. Realizing that he can't stand being humiliated like this, he reluctantly released her arms and stepped back for a moment.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for the show tonight," she said as she started to walk past him. However, her newfound confidence proved to be short lived because the next thing she knew, she was on the floor; clutching the back of her head with her hand. She looked up and saw Shane looming over her with an angry scowl on his face.

"You even disrespect me like that again, I'll make sure you don't get a job somewhere else! I can ruin you, bitch! Just fucking try me!" he hissed in her face.

She wasn't about to be deterred. Raising her foot up, she kicked him right where it hurts the most. He screamed in pain and doubled over while she managed to get up and ran away like her life depended on it.

When she was able to create enough distance between herself and Shane, Maria slid down on the floor and buried her face in her hands; sobbing hysterically. She couldn't believe she was able to stand up to someone who had more power than her. However, she also knew that Shane wasn't gonna take this lying down. He's right; he could get her fired and he could make sure she doesn't get employed somewhere else for a long time. He could ruin her; which is why he's hell bent on making her his girlfriend just so he gain control.

Breathing heavily, she slowly got up and headed towards makeup. She had no idea that another certain male was watching her from the shadows with a evil grin on his face.

_Soon, bitch. We'll be together again soon. And, this time, I'll never let you go. You're never gonna break my heart again!_

_X_

_Kinky Nightclub_

_St. Peterburg, Florida_

_March 12-13, 2011_

A group of superstars and divas decided to unwind after another hot show tonight by going to this sexy club so many people bragged about a lot. Maria decided to check this place out because she didn't wanna spend the night in her hotel room alone; especially since some of her best friends were going. Besides, she lucked out when Dwayne came up to her after her victorious match and asked her to go to the club with him. She eagerly accepted.

When they arrived, they immediately turned heads. Maria and Dwayne definitely looked like a match made in heaven. They were very sexy together and you could tell they were like two little kids who were like best friends. Their physical gestures gave them away, too: from his hand resting on the small of her back to her squeezing his hand. And it's also his protective nature that made her fall for him even more; especially when he escorts her to the bar to get a drink. He made sure she sat down first before he took a seat right next to her.

"What do you want to drink, Lil mama?" Dwayne asked, smiling at her.

Maria blushed at the sight of him. "Apple martini, please."

"Anything for my girl," he smirked as he signaled the bartender to get her drink.

Meanwhile, Shane and the mysterious man (who happened to be Maria's abusive ex) showed up and immediately, they spotted Maria and Rock at the bar, being all cozy with one another. Shane twisted his face up in disgust and anger while the mysterious man just looked on with amusement.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Shane groaned.

"Things like this take time. Since we're here, we're gonna separate them for a while. I have some choice words for the bitch," he replied.

"If you leave me alone with Rock, he's gonna break my neck. He happens to be good friends with my dad," Shane warned his partner.

The man snorted. "So fucking what? This is about Maria. We want her back. Don't worry, our plan will be a massive success."

They both looked over and saw Maria getting up and heading towards the ladies' room to freshen up. Dwayne decided to get up and go mingle with his fellow co-workers and friends for a while until Maria got back from the ladies room. Shane and the mysterious man nodded their heads at each other, then they went their separate ways. The mysterious man waited by the bathroom for Maria to come out while Shane went over to the bar to get a drink. A strong drink. Because he needed it badly after the night he had.

Maria came out of the ladies' room a moment later and was about to head back to the bar when she was grabbed roughly and then she found herself being pushed against the wall. She tried to get away, but the man pressed himself against her and placed his hands on the wall to block from escaping.

"You're not going anywhere, bitch," he hissed angrily.

Her brown eyes were wide open in shock and disbelief. She knew that voice anywhere. She thought she'd never see him again after everything he had done to her.

"Leave me alone," she told him, trying not to show that she's scared.

"Like I said before; you're not going anywhere, bitch. You and I have some unfinished business," he hissed again.

"We have nothing to talk about. You know what you did to me," she spat back.

"What I did to you? What _I _did to _you_? Do you have any idea how much you hurt me, Maria? You broke my heart and then you just had to open your big fucking mouth and told everyone what I had done to you! I lost my job, my family, my life because of you! All you had to do is give me what I wanted and then forgave me! You should've told me I needed help!" he screamed.

"I did tell you that, but you refused! Furthermore, you never apologized for all the pain you caused me! I nearly lost my life because of you! And you said I broke your heart? You don't even have a heart, you lousy son of a bitch!" she snapped.

He balled his hand up into a fist and punched the wall behind her, startling her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath because he didn't hit her. That was a first.

"Maria, I want you back. You can't move on from me. We're good together. I'm not gonna rest until you're back where you belong," he told her.

She shook her head and moved away from him. "It's not gonna happen and you know it. I don't love you anymore. It's time for you to move on and leave me alone. We were never good together in the first place. Oh, and one more thing, I saw you and Shane being all friendly with each other. I wouldn't trust him. He can betray you in the worst way possible."

He sighed angrily as he watched her walk away. His anger got even higher when he saw her running right into Dwayne's arms. They got on the dance floor and began to slow dance in each other's arms. Angrily, he stormed over to the bar and grabbed Shane by his arm, then proceeded to drag the eldest McMahon son out of the club in a fit of rage.

Talk about a shocking turn of events.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Maria's ex calls off his arrangement with Shane and his identity will finally be revealed. Maria and Dwayne's romance continues to develop. And Shane goes completely insane by attacking a diva. Who do you ask is the diva who's gonna be attacked? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	6. Turn of events

**I'm back with another explosive chapter. Someone asked me who's the mysterious woman who once had a history with Shane? I forgot about her but don't worry, she's gonna play a major part in Shane finally getting his. I decided to have his dirty deeds be out in the open at Wrestlemania because the Rock hosted the event and it was huge, to say the least. And, the reason why I changed rating to 'M' is because a certain couple will finally get their freak on. And it will finally happen in the next chapter. **

**Now, as for the mysterious woman, all I can say is she's a diva and she's on the RAW roster. The mysterious man who Maria was in an abusive relationship with, he's a former superstar. And, here's another twist: he was engaged to a diva previously. Before Maria, of course.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Kinky Nightclub_

_St. Peterburg, Florida_

_March 12-13, 2011_

Shane was being dragged out of the club by his 'partner' while he was getting down on the dance floor with a female companion. He was trying to make Maria jealous once again, but she completely ignored him by focusing her attention on Dwayne. That pissed him off because he couldn't believe he was being rejected by a beautiful woman he wanted more than anything. Furthermore, Shane was incensed when he saw Maria walking away from her ex. That let him know that he's no closer in getting his hands on her.

His partner dragged him towards an alley and threw him against the brick wall. Shane groaned in pain as he slid down on the ground.

"What the hell, man?" Shane screamed.

"Shut the fuck up! Just shut the fuck up! You fucking lied to me!" he snapped.

"About what?" Shane asked as he finally got the courage to get up.

"Everything! You told me Maria wouldn't find out about us, but she did, you bastard!" the man roared.

"What? She couldn't have known about our partnership!" Shane snapped.

"Well, she does and now everything's shot to hell. I decided that if I want her back, I'm gonna have to do it myself! Consider our partnership terminated!" the man screamed.

"What? You can't be serious!" Shane shrieked in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm fucking serious! I want Maria back, but as long as she's with that punk Rocky, I'm left out in the dust. So, now, I'm gonna get her back and I'm gonna do it without your fucking help! I'm done with you!" the man said before he turned on his heel and stormed away.

Shane couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe the sudden turn of events. His partner has just bailed on him, Maria's still in Rocky's arms and now, his plan in getting Maria is falling apart. Anger swept over his body as he watched his former partner, Maria's ex, storm towards his car. He shook his head because in actuality, he never really cared for the son of a bitch in the first place. Truth be told, Shane was glad that the man lost his job, his family and his life. When Maria finally had the courage to leave him, he completely lost his mind and ended up attacking any diva who came his way.

It doesn't matter, though. Shane will have Maria in his clutches soon enough.

What he doesn't know is that everything he has worked so hard for will crumble around him at the grandest stage of them all.

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_Sante Fe, New Mexico_

_March 19, 2011_

Maria and her best friend, Amy 'Lita' Dumas was walking towards their locker room; laughing, giggling and gushing about their men as they prepared for tonight's show. They were teaming up in a tag team match against Michelle McCool and Maryse and they were supposed to go over their strategy; somewhere along the way, they were gushing about the men in their lives. Maria couldn't stop talking about Rocky and Lita couldn't stop talking about her fiancé, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

"I still can't believe you landed the Rock. I mean, isn't he like your biggest crush or something?" Amy laughed.

Maria just smiled. "Yeah. But I was also his fan. To be able to be close to him; talk to him is like a dream come true. And, it doesn't hurt that he's an incredible kisser."

"Wait, you kissed him? That's big," Amy whistled.

"I know. I think I finally found someone who understands me. The men who've I dated were arrogant, self centered, abusive and no good liars. I don't know what I saw in the last guy I was with," Maria grumbled.

"I know. Didn't you see him at the club last week?" Amy asked as they went inside their locker room.

"Yeah. And he was angry, to say the least. He's talking about he wants me back and that I need to repair the damage I'd caused. He's so fucking delusional, it's too funny! He hurt me, cheated on me, got another girl pregnant and then beat her up so bad that she ended up miscarrying! He also said that I'm the reason that he lost his job, his family, everything. What a fucking idiot!" Maria seethed.

"You didn't cause him anything. He brought this on himself. Don't worry about him, baby. You have Rocky now and he's a good man and a damn good father. He'll protect you no matter what," Amy assured the redhead.

Maria couldn't help but smile and blush as they got ready for tonight's show. Ames was right; the Chicago native shouldn't have to worry about her ex. He hurt her, he cheated on her, he damned near killed her and now, he teamed up with Shane in order to get her back so that he'll never let her go again.

Closing her eyes, she left all thought of Kenny Dykstra float away from her head.

Meanwhile, Alicia Fox was heading towards catering, still nursing a bruise on her face from the vicious slap she got from Shane when, out of nowhere, she was pushed into the janitor's closet. She tried to get out, but she was pushed on the floor and heard the door being closed. Since it was dark, she couldn't see who pushed her inside. However, when the light was cut on, she looked up and was shocked to see who it was.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking scared.

Shane looked at her with a malice look on his face. "You know what's the fuck is going on. Once again, Maria ignored me at the club and you failed! I don't know why I keep messing with your fucking ass because you can't get the job done!"

"What? I can't believe this! I don't know why you have such a obsession with Maria, but it's getting out of control! Personally, I have nothing against her because she never wanted you in the first place! I'm glad she has Rock in her life; at least he can get the job done and treat her right!" Alicia screamed.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he screamed as he lunged at her. She tried to move out of the way, but he was too quick by tackling her down on the ground. He then proceeded to beat the holy hell out of her.

She started screaming, but since the hallway was pretty deserted, no one could hear her. Shane kept hitting and punching her with his fists before grabbing a broom stick and proceeded to beat her with it. Every single blow to her body was harsh, hard and more and more intense. Alicia truly believed that she was losing consciousness because she couldn't block out the pain Shane was unleashing on her.

Then, before long, she heard him dropping the broom stick. She thought the worst was over, but then, she heard the unmistakable pounding of a steel chair banging against the pavement. Her brown eyes were bugged out because she was scared to death of what Shane could to with that chair.

"Please, let me go," she begged and pleaded, tears forming in her brown eyes.

Shane just shook his head. He had a insane look on his face. He raised the steel over his head and Alicia could only close her eyes when she felt the heavy object crashing right on her head.

Shane breathed heavily as he stepped out of the janitor's closet and brushed the dirt right off his shoulders. He proceeded to walk away, leaving the door cracked open and leaving behind an unconscious Alicia in his wake.

He has a job to do still. He's still hell bent on getting Maria and he's gonna have to do it by himself.

Or he'll die trying.

As Shane disappeared in the shadows, a certain female came from around the corner and noticed the janitor's closet cracked open. Feeling her breath caught in her throat, she pushed the door wide open and was shocked to see a female laying on the floor; battered, bruised and unconscious from the massive blow to the head. The smaller, petite woman kneeled down to see who it is and was shocked to discover that it was Alicia Fox, her good friend and sometimes opponent in the ring, that was viciously attacked.

Shaking her head, she had a good idea of who did this. She knew Alicia had messed with the man before and ended up on the receiving end of his wrath twice now. Still shocked to find her friend in such a horrible position, the woman pulled cell phone out of her pocket and dialed 911.

Alicia needed help. Big time.

X

_Holiday Inn_

_Sante Fe, New Mexico_

_March 19-20, 2011_

Maria walked into her hotel room and sighed deeply. Tonight has been full of shockers and mishaps. Though she and Lita won their match against Michelle and Maryse, a shocking turn of events happened right outside the ring. When the redheaded duo came from behind the curtains, they found a group of superstars, divas and road crew surrounding an ambulance in the parking lot. For Maria, when she found out who was heading towards the hospital, she was absolutely shocked to find Alicia being loaded up on a stretcher. The African American beauty was beaten up really badly and her clothes were torn; which lead many to believe that Alicia may have been sexually assaulted or worse raped.

Sighing deeply once again, the Chicago native flopped down on the king sized bed and closed her eyes. Maria didn't know how long she's gonna be able to handle being harassed by Shane or her ex. She still didn't understand why the McMahon has such a obsession with her and she didn't understand why Kenny decides to come back after everything he had done to her. Hell, Mickie James, one of her best friends who's not working for TNA, never told anyone why she and Kenny called off their engagement, much less their relationship in the first place.

However, if Mickie left Kenny because he did the same things to the Richmond native, karma surely is a bitch.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. Maria huffed as she got up from the bed and headed towards the front of the room. She looked through the peephole to see who was standing outside and a smile appeared on her face when she realized that Dwayne has come to see her.

Grinning foolishly, she opened the door and sure enough, he was standing in the hallway with a smile on his perfect face. She reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck, for which he returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her forehead gently. Then, they both went inside; closing the door behind them.

"Thank you for the roses once again, Rocky. I love them so much," she said as they made their way towards the bed and sat down on it at the same time.

He smiled. "Once again, you're welcome. You're a beautiful woman and you deserve them."

"I know. It's been such a long time since anyone did anything for me," she confessed.

"Really? I'd figure a beautiful woman like you would be married with a couple of kids right now," he joked.

She shook her head. "No. Haven't found that one guy to spend the rest of my life with...until you came along. I think I love you."

"I think I love you, too," Dwayne confessed, reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just hope Alicia's all right. Someone found her beaten up really badly in the janitor's closet. Her clothes were torn, which means there's a possibility she could've been raped. I just hope whoever did this will pay big time," Maria said, changing the subject.

He reached over and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Same here, Lil mama. I'll be more than happy to kick his candy ass."

"Yeah, you would," she laughed a little, so happy to have him here with her. After what she had endure over the last few weeks, by having Dwayne here made her feel safe and secure. She knew nothing could go wrong whenever she winds up in his arms.

"Rocky, can I ask you a question?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure, baby. You can ask me anything," he said with conviction.

"C-can you stay with me tonight? I don't wanna be alone and I feel safe with you," she said, looking at him softly.

He leaned over and kissed her softly, then he pulled back and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. "I was hoping you would ask me that because I wasn't planning on leaving, anyway. I'm gonna protect you from this moment on."

And Dwayne would make good on his words as he leaned over and kissed Maria once again. He'll make sure that this beautiful creature who's laying in his strong arms and kissing him back with equal passion that nothing would harm her.

And if Shane and that punk ex-boyfriend who hurt her think they can hurt her again, they're in for one rude awakening.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Rock and Maria finally consummate their union. And, with Wrestlemania around the corner, Maria runs into Kenny and Shane once again, but, this time, they both make a threat at her. And Rock meets up with some friends of his who'll help him take down Shane and the grandest stage of them all. Who are they? Stay tuned!**

**I decided to use an underdog character this time. Believe me, I'll reveal what happened between Kenny and Mickie within the next few chapters.**

**Please review!**


	7. Going too far

**Well, in this chapter, it's the moment we've all been waiting for since the story started: Maria and the Rock will finally get it on and let me tell you, it's gonna be good. Furthermore, I know you're still wondering who's the mysterious woman who's gonna help Rock take down Shane. All I can say is stay tuned in the next chapter because everything will be revealed; from what caused the broken engagement between Kenny and Mickie, to how Maria ended up in an abusive relationship with him and so much more. Sadly, this story is winding down because I'm already working on a brand new story. It should make its debut real soon so be on the lookout for that, okay?**

**One more thing, I wanna thank you for loving this story so much and for bashing Shane. Believe me, this won't be the last time I'm gonna be writing him as the bad guy in my stories.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Holiday Inn_

_Maria's Room_

_Sante Fe, New Mexico_

_March 21-22, 2011_

Both Dwayne and Maria made sure that the door was locked and that the 'do not disturb' sign was placed right on the doorknob. They also closed the curtains and got the fireplace going as they moved their make out session over on the floor right in front of the bed. Strong sensations erupted in the pit of her stomach when he started kissing and sucking on her neck with tenderness; carefully marking her and caressing her fully clothed body from head to toe. She felt her eyes fluttering and every single bone in her body came to life when he reached down between them and began unfastening her blouse. In return, she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and began tugging at it; letting him know that she wants to take it off of him. He stopped unfastening her blouse long enough to raise his arms over his head. She then removed his shirt and marveled at the sight of his body.

"Like what you see, beautiful?" he grinned at her.

Maria couldn't help but giggle. "Definitely. You don't look so bad yourself."

Dwayne chuckled as he reached over and resumed removing her blouse, which he finally did, leaving her only wearing a short leather skirt and a black lace bra. He couldn't believe he's about to make sweet love to this beautiful creature sitting right in front of him.

"Maria, I want you to know that I love you so much. I haven't felt anything like this since my divorce. You just opened my heart to something I never thought I would be able to have again," he told her.

"And what would that be?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Love," he admitted.

"I love you, too, people's champ," she quipped as she leaned over and slanted her mouth on his ruthlessly. He moaned and pushed his tongue right down her throat; savoring the taste of the strawberries she had eaten earlier today. He just wants to savor her forever.

He pushed her down on the carpet floor and hovered over her. He reached down between them and hiked up her leather skirt, revealing her black lace boy shorts. Dwayne licked his lips and smiled at the sight of Maria laying on the floor; the orange flames dancing all over her olive toned skin. Her red hair splayed out like an heavenly angel and she just looked so angelic. He still can't believe this gorgeous woman came into his life like a breath of fresh air.

He removed her skirt, along with her boy shorts and threw them over his shoulder. She sat up long enough to reach behind her and unfasten her bra, then she handed the garment over to him, for which he also tossed it over his shoulder.

Maria was shy at first because she was laying naked in her hotel room in front of a man she had wanted for a long time. Her shyness quickly went out the window when Dwayne leaned over her and slanted his mouth over hers passionately. She moaned when he started caressing her body from head to toe; cupping her breasts in his hands and thumbing her now swollen, sore nipples gently. A loud hiss escaped her lips when he leaned down and fastened his moist lips on one of her nipples and started sucking hungrily. She threw her head back and moaned loudly when he lavished the same attention on her other nipple.

He moved further down her body; peppering her stomach with kisses and allowing his tongue to enter her belly button. He parted her legs with his hands and inserted a finger inside of her swollen opening. Her hands flew straight to his bald head and gripped his scalp when he inserted another finger inside of her. Her face was contorted in pleasure when he started moving his fingers in and out of her.

Maria cried out his name when he removed his fingers and placed her now limp legs over his broad shoulders. Another cry was ripped out of her throat when Dwayne started lapping at her center with his oh so talented tongue. Every single bone in her body came to life as he kept lapping at her center. Before long, she arched her back and began riding his face with the movement of her hips. She just wanted more and he was more than happy to give her what she wants.

He reached under her plump ass and lifted her up long enough so that he could have more access to her aroused core. She locked her ankles around the back of his head and kept gripping his bald head; so much so that her knuckles began turning white. The intensity continued to reach new heights as he kept lapping at her center when he found the one spot he's been looking for. That was enough to finally send her over the edge.

Maria was beginning to come down from her high when he bit down on her clit more harshly, sending her over the edge once again. Her body was shaking from the intensity of her climax as Dwayne moved up over her body and captured her lips with his. She could taste herself on his lips as she reached down between them and cupped his hard member in her hands through the pants she wore. He started hissing when she started stroking him; feeling the pre-cum forming on her fingertips. She kept stroking him as he bucked up right into her hand; letting her know that he wants more.

And more he would get when she pushed him down on the carpet floor and removed his pants, along with his boxer shorts, leaving him completely naked to her delight. Maria licked her lips before she leaned down and started peppering his broad chest with kisses; licking his nipples with the tip of her tongue. She moved down on him; lavishing his stomach with more kisses before she came face to face with his member, which stood tall and proud at attention.

"Delicious," she whispered softly before she started licking his shaft gently. With her fingers, she reached under his shaft and started tickling his testicles lightly as she slowly took him in her mouth. Dwayne groaned when she took him all the way in to the point that she felt the tip of him touching her throat. Slowly, she started sucking him off; bringing him to new heights of pleasure. He ran his fingers through her long red hair and groaned when he saw her bopping her head up and down. She swirled her tongue around his shaft and kept tickling his testicles with her index finger lightly; careful not to scratch him. Maria kept sucking him off as she began picking up the pace.

Dwayne felt himself swelling. He was getting ready to burst at any moment and he thought he was dying from the intense pleasure this beautiful woman was giving to him. It's been such a long time since he felt anything like this and since his divorce, he hadn't thought about being with someone else until Maria came along. He never wanted to let her go.

And she never wanted to let him go. She felt him climaxing right in her mouth and that turned her on. She swallowed every little drop of his semen and moaned when it went right down her throat. She released him with a 'pop' and wiped her lips with her hands; smiling at him and letting him know that she enjoyed pleasuring him.

"Ready, baby?" he asked, still coming down from his high.

"I'm ready for you, champ," she assured him with a wicked smile on her face.

He grabbed his pants from behind him and retrieved a condom from inside his pocket. He ripped the foil package open and placed the latex rubbed right on his still hardening shaft. He then laid her back down on the carpet floor and moved right on top of her; settling himself between her legs. Maria closed her eyes and braced herself because it's been a long time since she's been intimate with anyone. She just hoped that Dwayne would be gentle with her.

He must've read her mind because a couple of seconds later, he slowly started entering her. She could feel him stretching her to the core and that alone scared and excited her. Immediately, she wrapped her legs over his strong back and helped him move even further inside of her swollen opening until he was buried to the root. Every single bone in her body came alive when they finally fused together as one.

Dwayne laid still for moment, not moving a muscle. He started marveling at the fact that he was deep inside of Maria. He looked at her and smiled at the sight at her face contorting in pleasure. Once she got adjusted to his rather large size, she silently let him know that it was okay for him to move.

And move he did. Slowly and surely, he started thrusting. It's a good thing he started off slow because he was a big man and he can surely rip her in half. It's been so long since she had sex with someone and sometimes, her sexual needs were tossed out the window at times. The men she's been with would be fast, rough and uncaring; even the sex would be over before it even starts.

Well, she didn't have to worry about Dwayne because he was making love to her.

Maria closed her eyes once again when she felt his soft lips nibbling on her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips as he kept thrusting inside of her gently. She never wanted him to stop making love to her. She loved every single minute of having him inside of her.

Before long, however, Dwayne grabbed her hips and began picking up the pace. He started hamming deep inside of her; hitting every single spot that drove her craze. Before long, he reached down between them and started fondling her engorge clit, sending her over the edge with a much louder moan escaping her lips. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, then she pulled him down for a deep, passionate kiss; moaning again when she felt his tongue massaging hers.

She arched her back off the carpet floor and felt him sink himself deeper in her depths. Then, without warning, he someone managed to turn her over on her stomach. With this brand new position, Dwayne was able to go even deeper into her without abandon. Maria clutched the carpet right in front of her and screamed so loud, she thought her throat was giving out on her. She clutched the carpet so hard that her knuckles turned white.

A strong orgasm knocked the wind out of her when she finally reached her peak. He soon followed by emptying himself deep inside of her and groaned loudly. Then, they both collapsed on the floor with their arms around each other; their bodies slick with sweat.

"God, that was amazing," she breathed heavily.

He grinned at her. "You can sat that again, baby."

"I don't think I wanna move now," she said, smiling at him.

"Same here. But I'd rather for use to lay in bed. Much more comfortable," he suggested, breathing heavily.

They laid on the floor for a few more minutes before they finally got up and headed towards the bed. They both quickly climbed in and fell right into each other's arms; falling asleep immediately.

Maria fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.

She had every reason to be happy.

X

_Monday Night RAW_

_Green Bay, Wisconsin_

_March 28,2011_

With Wrestlemania less than six days away, you could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was gearing up for the big one; from the annual Hall of Fame ceremony to the grandest stage of it all, it looks like Wrestlemania 27 was gonna be another huge event.

Maria was heading down towards catering; whistling to herself and smiling brightly. She still couldn't get over the events that transpired between her and Dwayne last week. She was still on such a high after making love to him that she never wanted to moment to end.

Luckily for her, things only got better between them when he invited her to Hollywood to spend a couple of days with him. The only time they left the house was when she accompanied him to a movie premier; where they received a lot of attention. Other than that, they pretty much stayed cooped up in Dwayne's condo, getting their freak on in every single room of his home.

Needless to say, they were just making up for lost time.

As Maria turned around the corner and was just inches away from catering, Shane came out of his office and headed for his father's office when he saw her. The one woman who managed to slip through his fingers over the last few weeks. After Wrestlemania, however, he's gonna make sure she never gets away from him again.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Maria Kanellis. You mind telling me where the hell have you been?" he asked, scolding harshly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I don't have to tell you anything. You're not my man. Now, leave me alone. I wanna get to catering before tonight's show."

She walked passed him, but he grabbed her arm and ended up pushing her against the wall. Then, he placed his hands on the wall to block her from escaping.

"Let me go!" she hissed loudly.

"I don't think so. You're gonna listen to what I have to say. Now, I saw the cover of _People _magazine of you and Dwayne at a movie premier. I told you not to be associated with him, but you keep disobeying me and I'm not gonna have it anymore! You are mine, Maria! And after Wrestlemania, I'm gonna make sure you and Rocky know it, too!" he screamed.

Maria placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "Look, Shane, for the last time: you're not my boyfriend! Rocky is! He treats me better than anyone else and I'm not gonna let you ruin it for me! I have someone in my life who's stable, loving and caring! So, for the last time, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Shane just smiled. "We'll see about that after next Sunday. By the way, I saw Kenny earlier. I decided to hire him back so you're gonna be seeing more of him from now on. If you don't want anything bad to happen to the people you love, I'd cut my losses and leave Rocky."

He walked away, leaving her shaking in anger and fear. She closed her eyes and allowed the tears to consume her. No way in hell is she giving up on Rocky just to make Shane and/or Kenny happy. Both of them had hurt her long enough.

Speaking of Kenny, he came up right behind her a moment later and pushed her against the wall. She felt the pain shooting up her on her back as he sneered at her.

"Once again, I got you right where I want you, bitch. You and I will be together again. I'm gonna make you pay for hurting me," he hissed at her face.

"Kenny, leave me alone. You hurt me. You cheated on me and got another girl pregnant, not to mention you contracted Gonorrhea and tried to give it to me. I have every single right to leave you. I told you to go and get help but you flat out refused. I'm sorry, but it's time for you to move on!" she lashed out.

He laughed sarcastically before his hand came around her neck and began to squeeze tightly. "Now, you listen to me! I want you back and I'm not gonna let anyone stand in my way! If you don't want me to hurt anyone else, I suggest you break up with Rocky or there'll be severe consequences!"

"Like what?" she snorted, struggling to breathe.

"Like I'll cut your little pathetic body up into tiny little pieces and spread you all over the United States. The cops won't be able to pin this on me because I'll be long gone. Hell, I'll even do the same thing to my slut ex-fiancee! I still have a bone to pick with her!" Kenny snapped, his face contorting in anger.

Maria was scared. Really scared. He ex always threatened to do much worse, but she had no idea he would go so far to kill just to get what he wants. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest as she began slipping and falling into unconsciousness.

"P-please leave me alone," she stammered, trying so hard to breathe.

"Not gonna happen. Either break up with Rocky at Wrestlemania and come back to me or death will be knocking at your door," he warned as he finally released her. He raised his hand up and slapped her hard across her face, then he turned on his heel and stormed away from her.

Maria slid down on the floor and buried her face in her hands. Sobbing hysterically, she didn't know what to do. Shane and Kenny both threatened her and both threats were pretty serious. She loves Rocky with all of her heart and soul, but she couldn't bear if anything happened to him if she decided to stay. On the other hand, if she were to go back to either Shane or Kenny, she'd still end up dead.

Either way it goes, it wasn't a win-win situation for her.

Unbeknownst to her, Dwayne saw the whole thing and managed to capture it on video. He couldn't wait until Wrestlemania so that he can finally expose Shane and Kenny for what they really were. Although he wanted to go over there and beat the shit out of Kenny for slapping Maria, he knew he'll get his chance at the grandest stage of them all.

Rocky turned on his heel and headed towards his locker room. He had a meeting to attend to with a group of people who's willing to help him take down Shane. He pushed the door open and walked right inside and sure enough, one male and two females were waiting for him.

"Shane and Kenny both threatened Maria. Kenny even hit her. I got it on tape and this has gone too far," Dwayne announced.

"So, what are we gonna do?" female number 1 asked, looking skeptical.

Dwayne sighed deeply. "I don't know. I just want Shane and Kenny to leave her alone, but they're not making it easier for her. Plus, Kenny threatened to kill her if she don't break up with me. I don't wanna lose her."

"You're not gonna lose her, Rocky. We got your back, man, " the other male said, patting his shoulder.

And, with that, everyone sat down in a circle and began formulating a foolproof plan.

Shane and Kenny won't know what will hit them at the grandest stage of them all!

**Coming up in the next chapter: Rock finally exposes Shane and Kenny at Wrestlemania with the help of the mysterious woman who had a past with Shane and Mickie, who reveals the shocking truth about her broken engagement. When the dust settles, will Maria finally be free from the nightmare? Stay tuned!**

**Like I said before, this story is winding down because I'm working on a new story. It should be out sometime this week and it stars Alicia Fox. Look out for it!**

**Please review!**


	8. Exposed

**Well, we've come to the point of the story where everything will finally be revealed at the grandest stage of them all. But, the question is, will Maria finally be free of the nightmare or will Shane and/or Kenny have one more trick up their devious sleeves? And, yes, you all wanna know who's the mysterious woman is and, guess what? She's finally gonna be revealed in this chapter as well. Let's just say that what's gonna be revealed will be shocking, to say the least.**

**And, if you have the chance, please take the time to read my newly revised one shot series 'Heartbreak: A Diva Series'. I want lots of reviews for that story as well. I'm gonna be out of town all next week, so this will be my last update until I come back, okay?**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Wrestlemania 27_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 3, 2011_

The grandest stage of them all has finally arrived and everyone was excited and nervous for tonight's huge event. Over the course of the week, the superstars and divas were embroiled with exciting activities; from appearing on late night talk shows, playing a charity basketball game to participating at fan events all week long. It was something they looked forward to every year at this time.

For Maria, she was nervous for a different reason. She was also scared at the thought of what could happen tonight. All week long, she couldn't stop thinking about the threats both Kenny and Shane made at her. So much so, that she went home alone and didn't talk to anyone. The Chicago native was too scared to say anything because she felt they were watching her every move. It was all too much.

Maria was starting to get stressed out over the whole thing. She has a man who has a lot of money and he could get any woman he wanted with his good looks. So why he's so obsessed with her? Then, she has another man who made her life a living hell; who used her, abused her, treated her like crap and put her in the hospital one too many times. The day he got fired and then lost everything was supposed to be the happiest time of her life. Instead, he came back and threatened to kill her if she doesn't go back to him.

Finally, there was Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock. The best thing that ever happened to her. He was her savior, her rock, her knight and shining armor. She couldn't stop thinking about the night he made sweet love to her. He made her feel alive again. He made her feel as if she's the most important person in his life. And to think all of this wouldn't be possible if she hadn't accidently ran into him two months ago.

Maria pushed the door open and went inside the diva's locker room, only to find Alicia sitting on the sofa, reading a fashion magazine. It was a surprise to see her here considering she was in the hospital after enduing a brutal attack from Shane a couple of weeks ago. Maria couldn't see the African American beauty's face, but she was still pretty bruised up.

"Hey, Ali. Good to see you again," Maria said, trying to make conversation.

Alicia slowly raised her head up and looked at the redhead with tears streaming down her face. A fresh bruise covered her left eye and she looked up she lost some weight. What had happened to her?

"Ali, honey, what happened?" Maria gasped at the sight of her friend.

"S-Shane happened. Again. He came to see me in the hospital and punched me right in my face; hence the black eye. He got angry that his plan foiled again, so I ended up being pushed in the janitor's closet. And that's where he attacked me," Alicia replied softly.

"I can't believe this. He's gone too far this time," Maria breathed angrily.

"Maria, he asked for my help. He wanted me to make you jealous by sleeping with him, but I knew it wouldn't work because you're not dating him, right?" Alicia asked, looking a little bit skeptical.

"No, I'm not dating him. He has this sick obsession that I'll never understand why. Then, I have to deal with my abusive ex coming back into the picture. He wants me back and unless I break up with Rocky and go back to him, consider this my last day on earth," Maria explained, breaking down.

"What? Kenny threatened to kill you? He's sicker than Shane, I'll tell you what. We have to stop them somehow," Alicia declared, now getting mad.

"We? Ali, are you sure about this?" Maria asked, looking concerned.

Alicia dropped the magazine she was reading on the floor and got up from the sofa. She went over to where Maria was standing and grabbed her hands.

"Ria, there's something else you should know about Shane. H-he raped me," Alicia said, more tears streaming down her face.

"What? He raped you? In the janitor's closet? Ali, I'm so sorry," Maria whispered, tears streaming down her own face.

"That's another reason why he punched me in my eye. He threatened to hurt me even more if I told anyone. And because he has money and hides behind his daddy, he could ruin me if I took him to court. I want him to pay for what he had done to me. And I need your help," Alicia explained.

"I just want them to leave me alone. I want Shane to pay for what he did to me and you. So, what shall we do?" Maria asked.

Within the next several minutes, the two ladies came up with a plan to take down Shane and Kenny once and for all. Then, they both hugged, leaning on each other for emotional support. It's pretty obvious that after tonight, their friendship's gonna grow stronger.

However, they had no idea that their wish of taking Shane and Kenny down is about to come true later tonight.

And it's gonna be something they'll never forget.

X

_Wrestlemania 27_

_Shane McMahon's office_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 3, 2011_

Shane was pacing back and forth in his office in frustration. Tonight was the night that everything was gonna end. Rocky's gonna be gone and he's finally gonna get his hands on Maria again. Furthermore, he decided to get rid of Kenny again because he realized the young blond was getting more and more deranged. He actually overheard a conversation between Maria and another diva and she mentioned that Kenny had threatened to kill her if she didn't go back to him. If anyone's gonna be hurting the redheaded beauty, it's gonna be the man who has all the money and power in the world.

Shane's thoughts were interrupted when his door was opened and Kenny walked in with a determined smile on his face.

"What the hell, man? Where the hell have you been?" Shane screamed angrily.

Kenny just kept smiling. "Preparing for Maria to come back to me or she'll end up buried six feet under. Oh, and Alicia's here."

"That bitch has the nerve to show up here? I'll deal with her later, but for right now, we have to find a way to get rid of Rocky. He's standing in my way and I'm not gonna let him take Maria."

"Don't worry about that punk ass Rocky. He's gonna be out of our lives after tonight. And Maria's not gonna have anyone to lean on because she'll be in our clutches again. Stupid bitch thought we had a falling out at the club," Kenny snickered.

"Look, you just worry about surprising Rocky in the main event. He's never gonna know what will hit him when we get done with his ass!" Shane snapped.

However, it'll be Shane and Kenny who won't know what will hit them by the time the night's over.

X

_Wrestlemania 27_

_Main Event_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 3, 2011_

After taking out both John Cena and the Miz, Rock stood tall and proud in the ring; soaking up the cheers of the crowd. They were so happy to see him again and they knew he didn't disappoint them by being the host of the show.

However, the mood quickly changed when _Here Comes the Money _started blasting through the speakers. The Dallas crowd started booing immediately when Shane came out through the curtain, wearing his signature smirk on his handsome face. Rock jumped down from the turnbuckle and stood in the middle of the ring; waiting and anticipating for his plan to come through. He knew Shane was gonna try something, but the people's champ was well aware and was fully prepared for whatever the McMahon will throw at him.

"Rock, Rock, Rock. You just don't know when to listen, do you? I'd warned you about moving in on Maria, but I had to find out that you've been corrupting her! I told you to stay away from her, but you don't fucking listen! Now, it's time for you to pay!" Shane snapped.

Rock just smiled. "If anyone's gonna pay for anything, it's gonna be you, jabroni!"

The crowd cheered while Shane just stood there, looking angry.

"Now, the Rock says, you've been hiding behind your father for far too long and tonight, it's all gonna end. You see, the problem with you is, you have the tendency to sleep with every single diva that came your way and then you toss them aside like they were yesterday's news. I don't know what's your obsession with Maria's all about, but what I can say is that the Rock loves her. He treats her better and he knows he can satisfy her, unlike you," Rock said, grinning foolishly.

"It doesn't matter because after tonight, she's gonna be back where she belongs. She's gonna be back with me and you're gonna be gone...forever!" Shane laughed sadistically.

"The Rock don't think so. 'Cause, you see, I got proof of what you've been doing over the last month or so. And I happen to have some help, too. So, the Rock's gonna be more than happy to expose your candy ass!" Rock fired back.

All of a sudden, Kenny came out from under the ring and climbed right inside. He intended to ambush Rock from behind, but the veteran sports entertainer saw it coming and caught him completely off guard. Kenny was shocked when Rock caught him and ended up slamming his ass with his signature Rock Bottom, knocking the wind out of him. Then, Rock picked him up and threw him out of the ring, then dragged him over by the ring post, where he managed to kick the ring steps away and threw Kenny against the metal object.

Kenny screamed out in pain, but Rock smacked him hard across his once smug face. He reached under the ring real quick and pulled out a long strand of rope chain. There, Kenny was completely tied up by the ring post and was completely helpless. He started screaming, but Rock pulled a piece of duct tape out of his pants pocket and slapped right over his mouth, shutting him up.

Shane couldn't believe what he saw. Rock saw the attack coming and managed to turn the tables by tying Kenny up at the ring post and even taping his mouth shut. Shane was so angry that was tempted to go down to the ring and handle the situation himself.

"Now, before the Rock was so rudely interrupted, he said that he has proof of what you've been doing to everyone here. Oh, and the Rock made sure that this information got back to your father and the Board of Directors. They're meeting right now to decided what they're gonna do with you," Rock said, smirking.

That was it! Enough is enough. Shane's anger reached a boiling point and there's no way he's distinguishing the flames now. He started storming down towards the ring to confront Rock face to face, but out of nowhere, he was ambushed from behind.

Rock's accomplices ended up dragging Shane to the ring and throwing him right inside. One of them reached under the ring pulled out a steel chair, then he slid it right inside. Rock picked up the heavy object and unfolded it, then he sat right in the middle of the ring. His two fellow cohorts picked Shane up and sat him down on the chair, then they tied him up so that he couldn't escape.

"Shane, Kenny, what you are about to see is gonna be shocking, but it needs to be done because you two are so out of control that I had to enlist help in taking you two down. Now, before we get into this, I'm gonna need Maria to come out," Rock said, looking around for his lady love.

Maria's theme song started playing and she came out through the curtains with Alicia Fox trailing close behind. Both of them were holding hands and looking at each other with confused looks on their faces.

"Ladies, it's okay. I promise you that it'll all be over after this," Rock assured them. After a tense few moments, Alicia and Maria headed towards the ring; staying as close as possible and trying so hard not to be nervous. Maria looked over her shoulder and she had to admit, it was hilarious seeing Kenny all tied up and couldn't do anything. Shaking her head, she and Alicia slowly climbed into the ring.

Shane slowly began to wake up and realized where he was. He was sitting on a steel chair, in the middle of the ring, in front of over 70,000 Dallas fans. He moved to get up, but not only was he tied up, two men were holding him down by his shoulders. He looked up to see who they were and his eyes were wide open in shock.

Because the two men who ambushed him were none other than the reunited D-Generation X!

"Now, Shane, since we have your attention, I want you to take a look at the monitors. You're gonna see why you're such a little dick! Roll the film!" Rock screamed.

Shane was shocked to see the first footage of him smacking Maria down on the ground and threatening her. Another footage showed him slamming her head against the concrete wall and kissing her before he walked away. There's also footage of him making out with Alicia in order to make Maria jealous, but she just shook her head and walked away, leaving Shane to slap Alicia for being useless.

Anger boiled in Shane's veins as he kept watching himself being exposed for the entire world to see. He tried so hard to look away, but Hunter grabbed his face and forced him to keep looking.

"Like what you see so far, jabroni? Well, the Rock has plenty more where that came from," Rock taunted.

Shane groaned in frustration when the footage of him and Kenny secretly meeting up came up on the screen, trying to come up with a plan to lure Maria back into their clutches. Another footage of them having a 'falling' out at the club also popped on the screen. And, then, the footage of Alicia being pushed into the janitor's closet by Shane and hearing her scream for him to stop was something the African American beauty didn't want to see or hear, but Maria squeezed her hand and let her know that everything's okay.

Maria almost didn't wanna see the next footage on screen; the footage of both Shane and Kenny threatening her. She didn't wanna hear Kenny threatening to 'cut her body up into a million pieces and spreading her all over the United States'. She allowed fresh tears to fall from her eyes as she looked over and saw Shane being held down, but that didn't stop him from getting angry from being exposed.

"And, that, ladies and gentlemen, was just the first piece of the puzzle. I have more in store for you, Shane, but I'll come back to you later. I wanna focus on that little punk ass Kenny who thinks he can put his hands on a woman and then threaten them. You think you a fucking man for beating up a woman? Well, I have two woman who not only got away from your ass, but both of them are standing strong through all of your bullshit! Mickie, would you come out here, please?" Rock asked.

Mickie's theme song started playing and she came out through the curtains; bouncing up and down and slapping hands with the fans as she headed down the ramp. She stopped long enough to glare at her ex-fiancé, the man who caused her so much pain. And the fact that he did the same thing to one of her best friends made her sick to her stomach.

"Mickie, you can come in. Kenny can't escape, as you can see," Rock assured the brunette. Mickie nodded her head and climbed inside the ring, for which Rock handed her a microphone for her to speak.

"Rock asked me to help take down Shane and my ex-fiancé because both of them were out of control. I know exactly how Maria feels because Kenny me hurt the same way," Mickie said, which caused Maria to gasp in shock.

"The engagement wasn't by choice; it was by force. Kenny threatened to kill me if I didn't agree to marry him, so I accepted his proposal and then things got even worse. He constantly beat me every single day; sometimes for no reason at all. The final straw came when I walked on him having sex with some ring rat in our hotel room. I took off the engagement ring and threw it at him, but he went crazy. He attacked me with a knife; cutting my arms and slicing my face before he threw me out and told me to never come back. That's why I still have a scar underneath my right eye from the cut.

I was scared to date for a long time because Kenny continued to harass me, even after we broke up. When I learned that he was dating Maria, I tried to warn her about him, but he cornered me as I was heading towards catering and threatened to cut my body up into a million little pieces and spread me all over the United State if I breathed one word to Maria about our past. He continued to harass me around the same time he was abusing Maria," Mickie explained, breaking down in front of the whole world.

Kenny was beyond furious, but he couldn't do anything because he was still tied up on the ring post and his mouth was taped shut. Still, that didn't stop him from struggling to break free. When he finally gets the chance, he's gonna make Maria and Mickie pay for ruining his life and humiliating him like two bitches in heat.

"Well, well, well. Seems to me that punk ass Kenny gets his kicks out of hurting women for his own personal pleasure. You're not a fucking man for hitting a woman; you're a fucking coward, which leads me back to you, Shane-o-Mac. There's one more person who I've invited to come here to confront you. You see, she's a very good friend of mine and she has quite of history with you. So, let's not waste anymore time and bring her out," Rock announced, glaring at the McMahon heir.

Everyone in the arena, including the occupants in the ring were stunned when a familiar face appeared from behind the curtains. Then, the crowd went nuts when she blew a kiss at the fans before walking down the ramp and heading towards the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in her one night only appearance, please welcome back to the WWE...Lilian Garcia!" Rock announced, sending the crowd into a frenzy!

He helped the blond beauty in the ring, then he handed her a microphone for her to speak into. She smiled and waved at the crowd before turning her attention to the man who ripped her heart out of her chest and stomped on it without a care in the world. She would've been over it by now, except she has something that will bind them together forever. Or, at lease she had.

Shane knew he was screwed big time.

"Wonder why I decided to come back? Well, Rocky called me and told me you were up to your old tricks, but you had the audacity to get some help this time? And, for what? Because you're Shane McMahon and you can do whatever you want? Not this time!" Lilian screamed.

Shane lowered his head but Shawn and Hunter kept his head straight by holding his face with their calloused hands.

"You see, I was another one of the women he slept with, then he threw me away like I was trash. I just went through a bad breakup with my ex-fiancé and made the mistake of going to the bar and getting drunk off my ass. Shane sat next to me and I ended up venting to him about everything. Next thing I knew, we ended up going back to his hotel room and had sex that night. The next morning, however, he threw me out; saying that he got what he wanted, but it's time for him to move on and find something fresh. I blamed myself for allowing him to take advantage of me, but I gathered my bearings and moved on; that is, until I learned I was pregnant with his child," she explained, which caused everyone in the arena to gasp in shock and disbelief.

"Yeah, I was pregnant. I couldn't believe it when I looked at the home pregnancy test. When I went to the doctors and they were able to confirm it, I knew it was real. I told Shane and do you know what the son of a bitch said? He told me to get an abortion because he didn't want another baby cramping his style. He threw a wad of money at me and said either I take care of the problem or he will. Then he walked away from me," she broke down, glaring at the man she had a one night stand with.

"Well, Shane, I didn't get an abortion. I miscarried. My ex-fiancé physically assaulted me because I finally left his cheating ass. He beat me up so bad that I ended up in the hospital with cracked ribs, bruises on my face and my back was sprained. I thought I was never gonna walk again. I had already come to accept my pregnancy, but that asshole took that away from me. You were actually glad I lost my baby. You laughed at me and told me how worthless I was. That's why I really left the WWE, because I couldn't stand to be around you anymore, but you didn't care because you moved on to another diva and used her too!" Lilian sobbed angrily.

Maria couldn't believe what she was hearing. She never thought Shane would be so cruel and sadistic, but his dirty laundry was being aired in front of the whole wide world.

And Kenny? Man, no wonder Mickie was so scared because he kept threatening her. To find out that even after their engagement was broken off and Maria started dating him (regretfully), the son of a bitch was still messing with her and wasn't about to let up. What kind of world do we live in where we can be so cruel to one another?

"Well, Shane, how does it feel to be completely humiliated, huh? Still not getting it? Well, these two women will clear it right up for you," Rock sneered angrily. He then handed the microphone over to Alicia, who was still scared, but wasn't about to back down.

"Shane, you used me to make one of my best friends jealous, but we both know it wasn't gonna work. That didn't stop you from hurting me, though. The day you pushed me into the janitor's closet changed my life forever. Ladies and gentlemen, Shane McMahon raped me," Alicia said, causing the audience to boo and jeer at the only McMahon son.

"Mickie found me and got me help. But, that didn't stop you because you gave me a black eye and threatened to hurt me even more if I breathed one word to anyone about this. Furthermore, I was in the hospital when he did this," she revealed, which angered Shane even more. He tried to lunge at her, but DX held him down hard.

"I just want you to know that your day will come soon enough. I'm gonna be okay. I'm still here, I'm still breathing and I'm gonna heal. I'm not gonna let you ruin my life!" Alicia screamed as she went over to him and slapped the taste out of his mouth. Shane tried to lunge at her again, but Hunter punched him hard in his jaw, stunning him.

"Maria, baby, do you have something to say?" Rock asked, winking at her. She nodded her head and took the microphone from Alicia. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and glared at the man who made her life a living hell.

"I just have one thing to say: you didn't win!" she boomed as she went over to him and slapped him hard across his face.

"And, as for you, Kenny, you didn't win, either! I have someone who loves me and for him to be able to stop you before you went too far, speaks volumes for his characters. He'll do anything to protect me and I can honestly say that I feel safe with him. I love him, not you, Shane and definitely not you, Kenny!" Maria snapped. Then she slammed the microphone down on the mat and ran right into Rocky's arms.

Just then, Vince McMahon, the chairman and owner of WWE, appeared on the screen with a stern look on his face. Shane couldn't bear looking at his father because whatever decision the matriarch of the McMahon family made wasn't gonna be good.

"As you all know, I'm in my office at WWE headquarters because I just came out of a meeting with the board of directors. Shane, as much as I love you and as much as you've done for this company, your actions within the last few years have come under question. And it doesn't help that Rock showed me the proof of your treachery towards the divas. I really hate to do this, I really do, but you're officially been relieved of your duties as vice president," Vince announced, shaking his head in disappointment.

Shane closed his eyes and felt the anger seeping out of his body. He lost his job. He has been fired from the company he grew up in and he didn't know where he's gonna do next. He kept shaking his head in disbelief; still trying to comprehend what just happened.

"As for you Kenny, I don't condone violence against women of any kind. I'm throughly disgusted with your despicable actions towards both Maria and Mickie. I'm sorry, Kenny, but I've only got two words for you: YOU'RE FIRED!" Vince screamed before the screen went black.

Kenny went berserk and struggled to break free from the chains! He couldn't believe the shocking turn of events. He's been fired once again and there's only one person who's responsible for his fall from grace once again. Once he gets free, he's gonna make her pay for what she has done.

Shane was pushed out of the chair after he was released from his bonds and was getting the beating of a lifetime by Rock and DX. Meanwhile, security ran down the ramp and went over to Kenny, who kept struggling to free himself from being tied up. Maria, Alicia, Mickie and Lilian climbed out of the ring and stood aside while security finally released Kenny and was fixing to slap the handcuffs on him.

However, the once again unemployed wrestler wasn't finished. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a Swiss Army knife, managed to push the security guards away from and charged at the divas, his face contorting in anger.

Maria didn't have time react because the next moment, she felt something poking at her back. She reached behind her and felt blood trickling on her fingertips. Shock registered on her face as she turned around and came face to face with the man who stabbed her.

Kenny plunged the knife right in her chest before he was tackled on the floor by security and had the knife taken away from him.

Mickie, Alicia and Lilian screamed out for help as the redheaded diva collapsed on the floor.

The last thing she remembered was being cradled by Dwayne, who never left her side as she slipped into unconsciousness.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Kenny and Shane both get arrested for what they did. And will Maria survive being stabbed or will death come knocking at her door? Stay tuned!**

**Wow, this is the longest chapter I've ever written in my life! Sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but then again, I loved how this one turned out! See you next week!**

**Please review!**


	9. Not giving up

**I'm back with another explosive chapter. Man, so many of you want Kenny to go to an insane asylum and Shane to go to jail. And I know so many of you were disappointed that the ladies didn't get their physical licks in. All I can say is stay tuned because I have a feeling Shane and Kenny will get theirs; and it's gonna be far worse than they imagine.**

**One more thing, I'm glad so many of you have embraced Rock/Maria as a paring. I'm happy with the results myself. Trust me, this won't be the last time this paring is gonna be used by me or anyone else.**

**And, please, make sure to read my newly revised one shot series 'Heartbreak: A Diva Series'. It's really good, I'm telling you. I want more reviews, that's all I ask.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Dallas Medical Center_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 3-4, 2011_

After the shocking turn of events at the grandest stage of them all, many of the superstars, divas, road crew and even members of the board of directors crowded around the ambulance to see what the hell just happened. Paramedics were trying to make room as they rushed a still unconscious Maria, who had a breathing mask on her face and was loaded up on a stretcher, to the hospital. Dwayne wasn't far behind; in fact, he climbed right into the ambulance and rode with her all the way to the hospital. He didn't leave her side for one second.

Meanwhile, back at the arena, a string of police officers showed up and arrested Shane and Kenny on the spot. Shane didn't put up a fight; mainly because he was still battered and bruised from getting his ass kicked from Rock and DX in front of the entire world. Kenny, however, did put up a fight. He struggled with the police by attempting to escape and he even tried to take a swing at one of the officers. In the end, though, he was finally subdued after being knocked down. As the two disgraced men were being escorted away, Kenny let out a string of obscenities; vowing that he wasn't done with Maria and/or Mickie yet.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Dwayne was told by one of the doctors that he was to stay in the lobby until they can update him on her condition. So, that's where he's been all night; sitting in the lobby, nursing a cup of coffee, silently praying and trying to figure out if his girlfriend's gonna be okay.

Because he couldn't bear to lose her; especially after their relationship continued to flourish.

Not long after he arrived at the hospital, Mickie, Alicia, Hunter and Lita showed up to offer him moral support. They didn't know what to think or what to do. Maria's life was hanging by a thread and they were hoping and praying that she'll be able to recover.

"Any word?" Mickie asked softly, taking a seat next to Dwayne and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"No change. I haven't heard anything since we got here. I-I still can't believe Kenny would do this," Dwayne huffed.

Alicia and Lita sat right across from them and held hands. "We didn't know, either. It's like Kenny's not even human. We don't even know who he is anymore."

"I don't even know what I ever saw in him in the first place. I never thought he'd go too far," Mickie breathed heavily.

Amy offered her friend a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, honey. He's in jail, where he belongs."

"Yeah, for how long? For all we know, he could have a damn good lawyer and could get these charges dropped without provocation. He'll claim that he wasn't in his right mind when he stabbed her twice," Mickie huffed in anger.

"Guys, there's another problem we have on our hands. What about Shane? Clearly, he's the mastermind in all of this," Hunter jumped in, reminding them.

Dwayne sighed. "At least the little weasel got what's coming to him. I don't even wanna think about him anymore."

The rest of the team agreed and decided to move on to another subject, just as doctor Chandra Berkeley appeared a moment later, looking like a woman who had a long day. She approached the occupants in the lobby with a tainted smile on her face.

"Doc, how is she?" Dwayne asked right away.

"She lost a lot of blood, but we managed to control the bleeding and repaired the damage. However, she's not out of the woods yet. Her kidney was ruptured, she suffered a punctured lung and a main artery was nicked barely. The next 24 hours will determine whether she'll recover from this or not," Chandra explained.

"Oh, God. Is there anything else?" Dwayne asked, his face turning red.

"For now, no. We'll let you know if there's any changes," Chandra said before she turned on her heel and began to walk away. However, Mickie's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Doc, can we go see her? Just for a moment?" the Richmond, Virginia native asked desperately.

"I would say no, but I can see you guys have been waiting for a long time, so I'll make an exception just once. However, she's still unconscious so be careful," Chandra said as she motioned them to follow her to intensive care.

Within minutes, they arrived and tiptoed right inside, with Dwayne leading the way. All five of them stepped inside and had to hold in their breaths at the sight of Maria laying in a hospital bed; hooked up on all of those machines surrounding her. The only thing that's helping the Chicago native breathe is a breathing tube being stuck down her throat and up her nose. Old bruises on her face were still evident on her face and she looked like a doll. A doll you couldn't even talk to.

"I still can't believe Kenny did this," Mickie whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I can't, either. When I get my hands on that little punk, he's gonna wish he was dead," Dwayne vowed, getting angry.

"Rock, man, don't worry about him. He's in jail. There's no way he's not gonna get convicted. I mean, what he did was seen in front of the entire world," Hunter tried to assure his friend.

"It doesn't matter. I won't be happy until I see those beautiful eyes of Maria again. And when I see for myself that she's gonna be okay, that's when I won't be worried about the asshole anymore," Dwayne replied before he leaned down and planted a searing kiss on her forehead gently.

As they were leaving, they had no idea that the beautiful redhead was briefly showing signs of life by moving her finger a little. Afterward, she slipped right back into unconsciousness.

She wouldn't wake up again until the love of her life came back to see her.

X

_Dallas Police Precinct_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 4, 2011_

Kenny couldn't control his anger, even after he was arrested.

Sitting in the interrogation room, handcuffed to a table and boring a hole through his lawyer, he was still pissed. In the course of one night, he was exposed for being a lying, cheating, abusive, manipulating bastard, got beaten up by the Rock, was tied up to the ring post, completely lost his mind when he got released, stabbed Maria twice and then getting arrested. Now, he was sitting here, talking to his lawyer and trying to figure out a way for him to get the charges dropped.

"Now, Kenny, this doesn't look good. You have to go in front of a judge and there's a major possibility of a trial," his lawyer, Damon Humphrey said.

"I don't want a trial. I want these charges dropped!" Kenny snapped.

"That's gonna be hard to do; considering that millions of people saw you stab Maria and that the evidence against you is pretty strong. It's gonna be an open and shut case for the prosecution," Damon reminded his client.

"I don't care; get these charges dropped! As for Shane; he's on his own on this one. As far as I'm concerned, he's the mastermind in all of this! I was just going along for the ride!" Kenny screamed.

"So, what you want me to say is that you were the victim?" Damon asked, looking skeptical.

"Yes. Plus, I want you to prove entrapment, too," Kenny said, calming down.

"Entrapment? Isn't that a little bit extreme?" Damon asked, looking a little bit shocked.

"No! Maria knew what Shane and I were gonna do, but she still managed to turn on us! As a result, she provoked me to stab her twice; once in her back and once right into her chest! That bitch fucking provoked me!" Kenny screamed again.

"Okay, okay. Don't bite my head off. Now, I can't promise you these charges are gonna magically disappear, but I'll do the best I can. Your court appearance is at the end of the month. I'll try to get bail for you," Damon said as he grabbed his briefcase off the table and got. As he headed towards the door, however, Kenny stopped him in his tracks.

"And, one more thing, Damon. I'm planning on suing as well. I'm not gonna let Vince McMahon and the rest of the WWE get away with firing me," he announced.

Damon didn't say a word. He just opened the door and walked out, wondering how the hell did he end up with Kenny in the first place. He sighed; realizing that he's gonna have a long and tough battle ahead of him.

As Kenny was being escorted back in his cell, he was still one angry son of a bitch. He wasn't done with Maria just let. That stupid bitch needs to pay for what she had done to him and, if he had his way, she would've been dead already.

However, little did he know, Shane was sitting into an interrogation room right next door and he heard every single thing his former partner in crime had said.

The question is, will he use that information against Kenny when they finally go to court in order to save his own ass or will everything that he worked so hard for continues to crumble around him?

Only time will tell.

X

_Dallas Medical Center_

_Dallas, Texas_

_April 4, 2011_

Maria was moved to a private room when daybreak arose. Dwayne stayed by her side the entire time. He sat right next to her; holding her hand, whispering softly in her ear and kept praying that she would wake up. He just wants to see her beautiful eyes again.

Throughout the day, Rocky's been receiving text messages from Hunter; informing him that both Kenny and Shane were fighting the charges against them and that Kenny even plans on filing a lawsuit against Vince for wrongful termination. Dwayne almost laughed at that one because the little weasel still wouldn't let up. However, he got angry when he got another text message from Hunter; telling him that Kenny's lawyer is planning an insanity and entrapment defense; citing that Maria knew what Kenny and Shane were planning against her and that he wasn't in his right mind when he stabbed her twice in front of over 70, 000 people. That pissed Rock off to no end.

Shaking his head, he put his phone on vibrate and stuffed it right into his pocket. He had more important things to worry about; like seeing his beautiful girlfriend come out of this stronger than ever. Even though they've been officially seeing each other for almost two months, he knew in his heart that he wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.

He was about to doze off when he felt his hand being squeezed ever so lightly. Immediately, Dwayne shot up in his seat when he felt her squeezing his hand much more harder. The machines were going off like crazy and Maria was struggling with everything she had to wake up again.

"Come on, sweetheart. Open those pretty eyes for me," he encouraged softly. After several more minutes of struggling, she finally opened her eyes. Although her vision was blurry at first, it got clearer when she laid her eyes on the man of her dreams.

"R-rocky," she said, her throat dry.

"Are you okay? You need something to drink?" he asked, looking around for a cup.

"C-can you get me some ice chips?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Dwayne nodded and stepped out of the room for a moment to get some ice chips. He came back a few minutes later and gently started feeding her the chips so that she won't have to lift a finger.

"How are you feeling, baby?" he asked softly as he kept feeding her the ice chips.

"Like I've been stabbed," she attempted to joke, but she ended up coughing when she tried to laugh.

"Don't overexert yourself, Lil' mama. You just woke up," he assured her by squeezing her hand.

"I-I still can't believe Kenny would do this to me. I mean, he threatened me and everything, but I never thought he would actually go through with it," Maria asked, breaking down into quiet tears.

"Honey, don't worry about him and Shane. They're both in jail; where they belong. However, they're both fighting the charges. Hell, Kenny's even filing a lawsuit against WWE because he was wrongly terminated," Dwayne explained.

Maria just shook her head. "He won't let up, won't he?"

"Like I said before, don't worry about them. You just worry about recovering. I miss my cuddle buddy," he joked.

She couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah, well, I miss being in your arms. It won't be long, though. I can't wait to get out of here."

"Don't worry, baby. Everything's gonna be okay," he assured her as he leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. Then he reached inside his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He sent a text message to Hunter, reminding him that Maria has woken up.

Maria closed her eyes again and allowed sleep to claim her. She knew she had a long way to go, but she was prepared to fight. As long as she has Dwayne and her friends, not to mention as long as she still have air in her lungs, she's still able to fight.

And if Shane and/or Kenny think they can keep putting her down, well, those two jackasses have another thing coming.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Shane and Kenny's trial begins, with Maria testifying. Will her testimony be enough to convict them? Will Shane and Kenny turn on each other? And will Dwayne testify; showing the proof he captured? Stay tuned!**

**Only a few more chapters to go!**

**Please review!**


	10. First testimony

**I'm back with another brand new chapter. Sorry for being away, but the weather's changing and I'm preparing to go back to school next month. I just have a lot going on right now, which is why I haven't been updating as much on my stories. But, don't worry; I'm still alive and well and I'll continue writing my stories because it's what I love to do. Writing isn't just a hobby of mine. It's a passion.**

**One more thing; as I mentioned before, this story is winding down because I have yet another story in the works. It's called 'Hurting, Healing and Loving'. Please take the time to read it, please. It'll mean a lot to me.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Dallas, Texas_

_May 2, 2011_

Shane and Kenny were both brought into the courtroom in shackles; both looking completely disheveled, but well dressed in their business suits. Today was the first day of their trial and they weren't looking forward to having to deal with spectators and onlookers watching the whole thing unfold right before their nosey eyes. Every single entertainment show, local news and even national publications were highlighting the case; especially after what happened at Wrestlemania almost a month ago.

The prosecution successfully filed a motion to have Shane and Kenny be tried as co-conspirators; meaning that those two would be tried at the same time, in the same courtroom, in the same town. Kenny's also in the process of filing a lawsuit against the WWE for wrongful termination, even though there's evidence that he stabbed Maria twice in front of the Dallas crowd. His lawyer's also pleading temporary insanity because Kenny wasn't in his right mind when he stabbed Maria and/or abusing her when they were dating. There was also speculation that Kenny was also seeking legal action against Maria and/or Mickie for slander and emotional distress.

Shane wasn't faring much better. He wasn't able to gain access to his bank accounts or any of his assets because it was seized and frozen at Vince's request. The matriarch of the McMahon family made it clear in the press that his son wasn't gonna get any help from him because his actions were treacherous. And, if Shane manages to get acquitted, he won't have a job anymore and Vince will make sure that no other wrestling organization will take his only son in as an employee. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Maria was released from the hospital almost two weeks after she was stabbed at the grandest stage of them all. Dwayne ended up taking her back to his apartment in LA so that she could be able to recuperate; not only physically, but also emotionally. The Chicago native ended up talking to a counselor to sort out her feelings and to figure out if she could be able to face anyone again after experiencing something traumatic. Maria also has nightmares about Shane and Kenny and even contemplated committing suicide at one point, but whenever she wakes up, she quickly realizes that she's safe with Dwayne holding her in his strong arms and he's doing everything he can to ensure her safety and protection.

Speaking of Dwayne, a large part of him still blames himself for what happened at Wrestlemania. However, Maria and some of their friends assured him that he's not at fault for Maria's near death. The only people who should be blamed for the fallout is Shane and Kenny; and for them to have to stand trial for their misdeeds and having to endure public humiliation is just the beginning of their eventual downfall from grace.

Shane and Kenny both took their respective places at the defenses' table and waited for the trial to begin. They both looked over their shoulders and were shocked to see Dwayne bringing a wheelchair bound Maria inside the courtroom. Even more shocking; Maria was looking somewhat pale, but overall healthy. Those two assholes didn't think she'd survive.

"All rise! Court is now in session!" the bailiff announced. Everyone in the courtroom stood up just as the judge appeared and took her place at her bench.

"You may all be seated," the bailiff said, for which everyone in the courtroom took their seats.

"At this time, I'll hear the opening arguments from both parties," Judge Lauren Lee Young said, getting right to the point.

Gregory Branson, the state prosecutor, stood up, adjusted his suit jacket and took his place right in front of the six man, six woman jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury; I've dealt with many cases of stalking, domestic violence, intimidation, obsession and even murder in my 20 years of being a prosecuting lawyer, but I've never seen anything like this in my life. A young woman's life came this close to ending thanks to the two defendants you see here today who couldn't just leave well enough alone. One, who happens to be a trust fund baby, thought he could get any woman he wanted because of his good looks and charm. However, when one woman refused his advances, he snapped big time. He started using and abusing her; tried to alienate her from her friends and even attempted to destroy a potential relationship by aligning himself with someone who abused her in the past. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to see that Shane Brandon McMahon and Kenneth James Doane be held responsible for their actions. Thank you," Gregory said before he turned on his heel and returned to his seat just as defense attorney Michael Anderson stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my clients didn't have any intention to cause harm to Ms. Kanellis because they weren't in their right minds when the chaos started. It is a terrible ordeal that she had to deal with the nightmare, but let's be honest here. She has to bear some of the blame as well. If only she went out with Mr. McMahon and actually attempted a relationship with him, maybe we wouldn't be sitting here today. Now, as for Mr. Doane; I understand that leaving an abusive relationship can be hard and often times dangerous, but Ms. Kanellis did leave and maybe Kenny should've got the hint and moved on and even got some help. However, his pride and his wounded ego didn't allow him to sought out the help that he so desperately needed. Well, now, he can get help. Please, ladies and gentlemen, do you think sending those two to jail will get them help? Do you think that those tow should rot in hell for the rest of their lives. In my mind, I don't think so and hopefully, by the time all of this is over, you'll agree with me and have the heart to let them seek the help they so desperately need. Please, let them get help," Michael said before he turned on his heel and headed back towards his seat.

"With that being said, is the state ready to present their first witness?" judge Young asked.

Gregory stood up. "Yes, your honor. The people would like to call Maria Kanellis to the stand."

Dwayne wheeled her towards the stand and turned her around so that she could face the courtroom. As he went back to his seat, he winked at her; letting her know that he loves her and that everything's gonna be okay as long as she remains calm. After being sworn in by the bailiff, the redhead mentally prepared herself to present her testimony.

"Ms. Kanellis, how long have you been an employee with World Wrestling Entertainment?" Greg asked, approaching her slowly.

"Close to seven years. There was a contest I entered at the time and though I didn't win, I became a backstage announcer and ultimately, an in ring performer. I became a diva," Maria explained.

"Ms. Kanellis, how did your relationship with Mr. Doane came about? I understand he was in a relationship with another co-worker at the time, right?" Greg asked, leaning against the jury box.

Maria cleared her throat and sighed deeply. "Yes. He was engaged to one of my best friends, Mickie James, but the wedding never happened and I didn't know why. She never said anything about why they broken off their engagement until much later. As for Kenny, he approached me and asked me out right away. I initially said no because I was in another relationship at the time and I also went through a tough breakup. Kenny kept pursuing me until I finally relented and we went out to dinner. And that's when I realized that bad things were about to happen."

"How so? What was your relationship like in the beginning?" Greg asked, looking curious.

"In the beginning, things were okay between us. There wasn't any major drama between us; you know. It wasn't until that he started his singles career that I got the brunt of his anger.

It started with him yelling all the time; even over silly things. Then it escalated with him trashing locker rooms, complaining to administrative staff and even getting into confrontations with other superstars; mostly divas because he felt they were beneath him. I tried to calm him down, tried talking to him, tried to be a supporting girlfriend, but it was to no avail. It didn't take him long for him to take his anger and frustration out on me," she replied, letting tears started streaming down her face.

"How long did the abuse go on?" Greg asked, looking concerned because he could tell his witness was on the verge of completely breaking down in front of the courtroom.

"Over a year. Every chance he could get, he'd hit me, push me around, belittle me and treat me like a slave. He'd kept me under lock and key 24/7 and I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. It wasn't until he got fired from the company the first time that I finally felt free," Maria explained, wiping her eyes with her hands.

"You finally had the courage to break up with him when he got fired, right?" Greg asked, sighing deeply.

"Yes. I broke up with him when he got fired and I thought that would be the end of that saga," she replied softly.

"However, a new chapter opened when you came across Shane McMahon, right?" Greg asked, coming out strong.

"Yes. I ended up having a whole new set of problems when I came face to face with Shane. He approached me three months ago about wanting to go out with me, but I was hesitant because I was finally starting to heal from my ordeal with Kenny. Shane has a way of charming you into doing what he wanted regardless. I admit, he's handsome, smart and successful, but he's also arrogant, cocky and kind of intimidating. So I went on a date with him; but I didn't have a good time. It was boring. I vowed never to go that route with him again, but his ego wouldn't allow him to be defeated," Maria explained.

"Did Mr. McMahon ever made any threats against you?" Greg asked, rubbing his hands together.

She cleared her throat again. "Yes. He wasn't happy that I started talking to my current boyfriend, so Shane made a comment about me being his woman. I told him that I wasn't his girlfriend and I'm not one of those women who sleeps around in order to get ahead. But, Shane has a habit of sleeping with someone who works for his company and then dumping that person like a bad habit. That wasn't the case with me because he kept pursuing me; even got to the point when he started physically assaulting me to prove his point."

"Isn't it also true that you were talking to another co-working at the time your 'relationship' with Mr. McMahon happened, according to him?" Greg asked, pointing his finger at Shane.

"Yes, which angered him to no end. That's how I ended up being physically assaulted and threatened by him. He even went on national television and humiliated me. Also, I was injured in a match, so when I ended up in the hospital, he showed up and started choking me. I would've been dead if it hadn't been for a nurse and security to come in and escorted him out. He attacked me again when I told him that I don't wanna be with him. He threatened to get me fired if I crossed him again, but I fought back," she explained, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"When was the last time you had a run in with Mr. Doane?" Greg asked, now pointing his finger at Kenny.

"A group of superstars and divas went to a club after the show to unwind; that was normal for us employees to do because we work so hard so we deserve some down time. Dwayne and I came in together. He ordered a drink for me as I went to the ladies' room to freshen up. When I came out, I was ambushed from behind. I ended up being pushed against the wall. I was afraid that something bad would happen, so I frantically said that I'd give him anything if he let me go. However, he told me it wasn't about to happen because he had some unfinished business with me," she added, still wiping her face with a tissue.

"Ms. Kanellis, are you okay?" Greg asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I just wanna get this over with," she honestly said.

"Okay, now, you mentioned that Mr. Doane said to you that he had some unfinished business with you. What did he mean by that?" Greg asked.

"He felt it was my fault that he lost everything; his job, his family disowned him and I was responsible. I made it clear to him that I never wanted to see him again after what he had done to me, but he wasn't having it. He made it clear that he wants me back and he's not gonna let anyone stand in his way," she stated, sniffing lightly.

"When was the last time you had a run in with both defendants?" Greg asked, picking up a manila folder and reading the contents from inside.

"Before Wrestlemania. I was on my way to catering when Shane came out of his office and had intended to visit his father, but I ended up running into him instead. He wanted to talk to me, but I made it clear that he's not my boyfriend and I wanted nothing to do with him. That didn't sit well with him because he ended up pushing me against the wall," Maria said, glaring at Shane.

"Objection, your honor! There's no proof my client physically assaulted the witness," Michael shouted.

"Actually, we have footage that we're gonna be showing to the court of everything your client and his accomplice has done," Greg countered, smiling smugly at his opponent.

"Overruled," judge Young declared.

"He threatened to hurt my friends if I didn't break up with my boyfriend and got with him. He also informed me that he had rehired my abusive ex so I'm gonna be seeing him more often, according to Shane. Then he pushed me down on the floor, slapped me hard across my face and left. I barely had the chance to get up when Kenny came right behind me and I was pushed against the wall once again. My back was already sore, but he didn't care because he wrapped his hand around my neck," she explained, now glaring at Kenny, who was glaring right back at her.

"Did he say anything?" Greg asked, looking more and more confidant.

"Yeah. He also threatened me; saying that if I didn't break up with my boyfriend that he'll cut my body up into tiny little pieces and spread me all over the United States. He stated that not even the police would be able to trace my death back to him because he'll be long gone. I told him to leave me alone, but he said no. As he released me, he said either I break up with Rocky and go back to him or death will be knocking at my door," she revealed, wiping her face with a tissue.

"And as you can see, ladies and gentlemen, she's confined to a wheelchair thanks to Mr. Doane stabbing her twice in front of 70,000 people and on national televison. All because he wouldn't leave him alone. No further questions, your honor," Greg said as he turned on his heel and headed back towards to his seat, just as Michael was standing up.

"Ms. Kanellis, I'll be brief. Isn't it true that you cheated on my client with your current boyfriend?" he asked, trying to get right to the point.

"No. Kenny cheated on me, got another woman pregnant and contracted a venereal disease. He even attempted to give it to me, but I never caught it from him," Maria replied, glaring at the attorney.

"What about Shane? I mean, clearly he wanted you, but you kept refusing his advances over and over again. Why didn't you give him a chance?" Michael asked, glaring right back at her.

She cleared her throat. "Shane's a womanizer. He'll sleep with any woman, no matter what. He also has a habit of dumping the person he slept with like a bad habit. Matter of fact; he attempted to make me jealous by flaunting his new 'flavor of the week' with another co-worker and friend, but I didn't fall for it because I knew what kind of person he is. I made it clear to him that I don't wanna have any kind of romantic relationship with him, but he didn't take the hint. He even had to recruit my ex-boyfriend to see his plans through, but it backfired on him. As for Kenny, I also made it clear to him that I didn't wanna have anything to do with him anymore after everything he had done to me, but he couldn't take the hint, either. I almost died at his hands. I know I'll never be the same again."

"No further questions, your honor," Michael said, going back to his seat abruptly and mumbling to himself.

"Young lady, you may leave," judge Young said as Dwayne began to wheel her out of the courtroom. She didn't even look at Shane and Kenny anymore because she felt she had nothing to say to them. They had hurt her long enough.

"Mike, what the hell was that about? You're supposed to be grilling her more!" Kenny hissed in his lawyer's ear.

"There's nothing more I can do right now. Besides, her testimony proved to be compelling. And, there's so much evidence against you and Shane. However, I'm not giving up. The state's gonna be calling their next witness. Don't worry; I have everything under control," Michael assured his client.

"Who's next?" Kenny asked, still looking angry.

Michael smiled brightly. "Dwayne Johnson."

**Coming up in the next chapter: Rock testifies and shows videotape proof of Shane and Kenny's terrible misdeeds; causing chaos in the courtroom. Will that be enough to get a conviction or will Shane and Kenny's lawyer manages to have a trick or two up his sleeve? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	11. Second testimony

**I'm back with a brand new chapter and things are really gonna explode because Rocky's testifying in court and will show the footage of Shane and Kenny's treachery against Maria. I mentioned this before, but I'm gonna say it again just so you completely understand. This story is winding down because I'm also working on **_**Hurting, Hearing and Loving **_**and I wanna be able to focus on that more when this is done. There's gonna be a happy ending for Maria, that's for sure. It's gonna take some time, but it's gonna happen.**

**One more thing, keep voting on what you think should happen to Shane and Kenny. And please do it now because I'm closing the polls within a week or two.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Dallas, Texas_

_May 3, 2011_

Shane and Kenny were both sitting at the defenses' table and both of them were now feeling the wrath of the trial that's taken place. Both of them already made the conclusion that it was gonna be an open and shut case; based on Maria's damning and damaging testimony the day before. And now, it's day two of the trial and the shit is really about to hit the fan.

And there was more bad news in store for Kenny. Michael, his lawyer, informed his client that the multiple lawsuits that Kenny was pending against the WWE, Maria and his ex-fiancee Mickie were thrown out in court based on the fact that his allegations were proven to be unfounded and malicious. Kenny wasn't done yet, though. He demanded that Michael appeal this matter once and for all. To add further insult to injury, his attempts to reach out to his estranged family for financial and emotional support ended in disastrous results. None of them wanted anything to do with him after what he put Maria through.

Shane wasn't faring much better. None of his family member showed up in court to support him. Vince even went so far to cut him out of the will and even cut him off of the trust fund Shane was supposed to be entitled to when he turns 50 years old. Furthermore, he hasn't had any contact with his two boys since his arrest, thanks to his ex-wife Marissa preventing Shane from contacting them.

He has to win this. He had to win. Because, otherwise, he's gonna end up dropping the soap behind prison walls, right along with Kenny and that's something they both don't want to happen.

Maria already testified, so she was back and Dwayne's apartment, being attended by her parents, who Dwayne was gracious enough to fly them in from Chicago. He just wanted to make sure that she wasn't alone in the apartment because knowing Shane and Kenny, they could have a trick up their sleeves and still get to her somehow. He just didn't wanna take any chances.

"Is the people ready to proceed?" judge Young asked after he banged the gravel.

Gregory stood up and straightened out his jacket. "Yes, your honor. The People call Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to the stand."

The double doors opened and Dwayne appeared a moment later, looking ever so handsome in his black business suit. He walked right into the courtroom and headed straight for the witness stand. After being sworn in by the bailiff, he took his seat on the bench while the bailiff wheeled in a televison equipped with a DVD player.

"Mr. Johnson, would you please tell the court how long have you been employed with the World Wrestling Entertainment?" Greg asked, folding his arms together.

"Almost 15 years; although I'm now a full time actor. I've made appearances with the WWE over the last few years, including coming back to host Wrestlemania 27 this year," Dwayne revealed.

"How would you describe your relationship with Vince McMahon and his family?" Greg asked, standing right next to the jury box.

Dwayne cleared his throat. "Vince and I still have a very close relationship. He's been very helpful to my career and he's also been a force behind my acting career. His wife, Linda, is an absolute angel to me. She's the epitome of a southern belle. Stephanie, Vince's daughter, such a beautiful, hard-working, driven, fun loving woman she has become. She's the goddaughter of my daughter Simone Alexandra Johnson."

Shane rolled his eyes in annoyance because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Of course his family adored Dwayne because he brought them big money and big ratings during the attitude era and more importantly, the infamous Monday Night War where they had to square off with Ted Turner.

"What about the defendant, Shane McMahon?" Greg asked, pointing his finger at the defendant.

"Shane and I have a complicated relationship. We have what would you call a love/hate relationship. One minute we could be friends, the next minute we could be enemies. Sadly, since I was asked to come back for Wrestlemania, we've been enemies," Dwayne explained.

"Mr. Johnson, how did your relationship with Maria Kanellis come into play?" Greg asked, standing in front of Dwayne, who had a calm, cool, collected look on his face.

"We accidently ran into each other at a live taping of RAW. We ended up having a brief, but pleasant conversation about me making my comeback that night. There's no doubt in my mind that she's beautiful, but she's also fun, spunky, bubbly and full of life. I liked her right off the bat. Up until Wrestlemania, we continued to run into each other and even develop a friendship. It wasn't until she was starting to have major problems with Shane and later on Kenny that I developed romantic feelings for her," Dwayne said, sighing deeply.

"Was there any confrontation between you and Shane?" Greg asked, smiling smugly because so far, things were definitely going his way.

"Yes. He told me to stay away from Maria because she was with him, but I didn't believe it. Besides, why would she would date a man who has a reputation for sleeping with the divas and them dumping them like a bad habit?" Dwayne asked, which caused whispers among spectators in the courtroom.

"Objection! Speculation!" Michael shouted, getting upset.

"Overruled," judge Young announced.

Greg continued by picking up the remote control for the television and DVD/VCR combo. "Mr. Johnson, have you ever seen Ms. Kanellis being physically assaulted by both defendants?"

"Yes. I caught it all on tape, including them meeting in secret on several different occasions. They had this brilliant plan to break us up so that they can have her. What you're about to see is a perfect example of why you can't even trust the people you're aligned with," Dwayne said as Greg handed him the remote control. The handsome Miami native clicked the television, which displayed the blue screen for a moment before the images of Shane and Kenny meeting up in secret outside the arena appeared.

Kenny was beyond furious. He couldn't believe Rock had the audacity to capture his ass on camera, conspiring with Shane in getting Maria back and even destroying Rocky. He was beyond furious that Dwayne had just put his on blast. He looked over at Shane, who had the same furious expression on his face.

Dwayne went on to explain as the video footage rolled on about Shane and Kenny physically assaulted Maria and making threats against her; with Kenny vowing to make sure that death knocked on her door if she didn't call things off with Rock and take Kenny back.

And there was the footage of Kenny stabbing Maria twice in front of over 70, 000 people in attendance at Wrestlemania. Everyone in the courtroom was shocked and appalled of what they had just seen. Kenny just sunk down in his seat at the defense's table and mumbled obscenities along the way.

When the screen went black, Greg had a huge smile on his face. He knew he had this case in the bag. There's no way in hell that Michael can refute or offer a rebuttal because Dwayne can throw it right back in his face and make him out to look like a fool in front of everyone in the courtroom.

"No further questions, your honor," Greg said as he turned on his heel and walked back towards the prosecutor's table, just Michael stood up.

"Mr. Johnson, you stuck your nose into my clients' business where it doesn't belong. Why is that?" Michael asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Actually, you're wrong. They shot themselves in the foot by putting their hands on a female and making idle threats at her. You don't know what's going on," Dwayne asked, getting defensive.

"Maybe I don't, but, then again, maybe I do, but you should've known better than to get involved. What went on between Shane and Maria was their business, not yours," Michael shot back, glaring at the most electrifying man in sports entertainment.

"Your honor, is there a question?" Greg shot up and shouted.

"Move along, counselor," judge Young warned Michael.

"Mr. Johnson, you attacked my client at Wrestlemania and tied him up at ringside. Do you have a personal vendetta against him?" Michael asked, standing right in front of Dwayne in hopes of intimidating him.

Dwayne didn't even flinch. "He snuck inside the ring in an attempt to ambush me from behind. Fortunately, I saw it coming and turned the tables on him. Shane was furious and was about to climb into the ring to confront me, but he was ambushed from behind by some friends of mine. I went to them for help because I knew I couldn't do this alone."

"Mr. Johnson, are you married?" Michael asked, trying to change tactics.

Dwayne smiled sarcastically. "I'm divorced with a nine year old daughter. Her mother and I are still friends. My relationship with Maria is much recent, so, no, I've never cheated on anyone."

"What about Shane, Mr. Johnson? Don't you think you cheated your way to Ms. Kanellis knowing full and well that she was involved with my client?" Michael asked, getting frustrated because the witness was doing what Greg had predicted: he was throwing everything back in Michael's face and Dwayne's not even breaking a sweat.

"If you saw the video and seen firsthand how he treated my girlfriend, that was not a relationship. As I mentioned before, Shane has a habit of sleeping with the divas and then throwing them aside like they were yesterday's news. I'd seen first hand what kind of person he is. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he cheated on his ex-wife. I don't know why Shane has decided to become obsessed with Maria, but he was doing everything he can to trap her in his web. When she didn't fall for his tricks, that set him off. He had to recruit her abusive ex in order to gain control, but even that didn't do him any good. Shane's a bloodsucker and Kenny's an controlling, psychopathic aggressor. The two of them together is deadly," Dwayne explained, arching his eyebrow in annoyance.

Michael sighed. There was nothing more he can do. "No further questions, your honor."

"Mr. Johnson, you made step down. The People will call its next witness when they're ready," judge Young announced.

Kenny was pissed. Michael was supposed to discredit Dwayne and even humiliate him, but that didn't happen. Rock has pretty much turned the tables on everything. As Michael sat down at the defense's table, Kenny pretty much let him have it.

"What the hell was that, Michael? I thought you said you had this in the bag!" Kenny hissed angrily.

Michael just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, man, but right now, it's not looking good for us. With the videotape evidence, not to mention the damaging testimony from Maria and Rock, we're fighting a losing battle."

"It's not over yet. I don't care what you have to do, but I can't afford to go to jail!" Kenny snapped. He looked over his shoulder and saw Shane just staring at the wall with a stony look on his face.

"Shane, snap the fuck out of it, man! There's still a chance we could win this!" Kenny hissed, snapping his co-conspirator out of his trance.

"I-I'm sorry, guys. I'm just still pissed that Rock caught everything on tape and now the whole world has seen it. I don't know how much more I can take. I just want it to be over," Shane said, huffing angrily.

"Don't you think I know that? I'm not going to jail! I've already lost my family and my job because of this!" Kenny snapped, which caused Shane to turn and glare at the man who ruined his life. None of this would be happening if Kenny had done what he was supposed to do.

"Will you two keep quiet? We still have several more witnesses to contend with and I'm gonna do everything I can to change the direction of this case. If not, I'm gonna try to see if we can work out a deal," Michael explained to his clients.

Judge Young banged his gravel, letting everyone know that court's still in session. "Is the people ready to proceed?"

Greg stood up and cleared his throat. "Yes, your honor."

"Then call your next witness," Young announced.

"The People Call...Marissa McMahon to the stand," Greg revealed.

Shane sunk down in his seat and groaned ruefully. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Could Marissa's testimony ruin Shane and Kenny's life? Or will her testimony actually save their lives? And will Maria ever be able to recover emotionally from the trauma she endured? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	12. Shocking third testimony

**I'm back with a brand new chapter and there's only a couple more chapters to this story. I know exactly what's gonna happen concerning Shane and Kenny, but it's funny keeping you in suspense for a while. Well, that won't happen any longer, which is why Marissa's testimony will bring the house down with a shocking twist concerning Shane's lawyer that would change everything. Furthermore, I think it's time for Maria to experience some good times again, with the help of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.**

**And, last thing before we get on with the story, I had planned on closing the poll on which what should happen with Shane and Kenny, but, I was told that there's a three way tie. So, I'm gonna keep the poll open until we have a clear winner of what should happen to those two psychos in the end. I've only got a couple more chapters to do, so please vote now!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Houston, Texas_

_May 3, 2011_

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" the bailiff asked as he was swearing Marissa in.

"I do," the former Mrs. Shane McMahon said in a confident tone. After being sworn in, she sat down at the bench and straightened herself out; mentally preparing herself to reveal all about her sixteen year turbulent marriage to Shane and how Kenny got in the mix of all the chaos. She looked over at her ex-husband for a moment and saw how disheveled and angry he looked. His partner in crime had the same angry look on his face as she mentally prepared herself to testify in court.

However, she also has her two boys, Declan and Avery to think about during this time. The reason why she hasn't allowed them to have any sort of contact with their father is because she doesn't wanna have any negative influence affecting them. Shane has done such a good job making her life a living hell during the 16 years they were married. She doesn't want her boys to have to endure their father's wrath.

Greg, the prosecutor handling this case, got up from his seat and straightened himself out. Then he headed right over to the witness stand and locked eyes with Marissa.

"Ms. Mazzola, how long were you married to Shane McMahon?" he asked right away.

She cleared her throat and didn't even blink. "16 years. We have two beautiful boys, Declan and Avery."

"And when did your marriage end?" Greg asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Our divorce was finalized on February 15, the day after Valentine's day. So we've been divorced for almost three months," she revealed.

"Now, during your 16 year marriage to the defendant, has his behavior changed in any way, shape or form?" Greg asked firmly.

"Within the last few years of our marriage, things have changed and it wasn't good between us. Shane has to travel a lot so he comes home only two to three times a week. I used to travel with him a lot, but since I became a mother, I've been pretty much a full time mom, so I stay home all the time. I have noticed that he's been distant with me; always coming up with excuses on why he couldn't come home or always cancelling dates with me. We used to have date nights every Saturday, but that faltered when he moved up in his father's company. I didn't know anything until I found out about his indiscretions 18 months later, thanks to a sex tape I got in the mail of him and a female employee engaging in sexual acts," Marissa explained, shooting a glare at her ex-husband, who just slouched in his seat in shame.

"A sex tape? Did you confront him about it?" he asked, looking on in bewilderment.

"Of course I did, but as ususal, he denied everything. Shane even got mad at me for snooping around in his business, but more and more evidence of him cheating on me with female employees surfaced thanks to me receiving several more sex tapes with the next several weeks. In total, I received six sex tapes of the man who put a ring on my finger and gave me two beautiful boys having sex with female employees; there's even footage of him engaging in threesomes. I knew that my marriage was over because I don't tolerate cheating by any means," she explained, a single tear forming in her eye.

"Ms. Mazzola, has the defendant ever been violent towards you?" Greg asked.

"One night, during an argument we were having about him staying out all night, out of nowhere, Shane slapped me. In my defense, I slapped him right back; letting him know that I wasn't gonna take any crap from him and that I wasn't gonna allow our sons to grow up thinking it's okay to hit women. He hasn't touched me since then," Marissa explained.

"Ms. Mazzola, have you ever had any contact with Mr. Ken Doane when you were traveling with your ex-husband at any time?" Greg asked, pointing his finger towards Kenny, who had an angry scowl on his face.

"Not personally, but we did run into each other publicly on several different occasions. He seemed a little off to me," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Off how?" Greg asked, looking amused.

"Like he was a little unstable. Something wasn't right with him, but I couldn't put my finger out it. I chose to have nothing to do with him personally or professionally because he wasn't my concern. My priority was my family," Marissa revealed, not breaking a sweat.

"Thank you, Ms. Mazzola. No further questions, your honor," Greg said as he turned on his heel and headed back towards his table, a smug smile on his face because he knew he had this case in the bag.

Michael stood up from the defense's table, straightening out his tie and clearing his throat. He silently vowed that he was gonna do whatever it takes to win this case.

Little did he know, some shocking secrets concerning Shane were about to come to light.

"Ms. Mazzola, how come you didn't find it in your heart to forgive my client for any wrongdoing?" he asked, getting right to the point.

"I do forgive Shane and a part of me will always love him, but I just couldn't stay in the marriage anymore; knowing that he cheated on me and being violent towards women. I don't want our children to grow up thinking it's okay to ever hit a woman. That's something I won't stand for," Marissa said, glaring at the defense attorney.

"Speaking of your children, how come Declan and Avery haven't had any contact with their father? Are you trying to keep them away from my client purposely?" Michael asked, glaring right back at her.

"Shane really hasn't had any contact with his boys a lot since he has to travel. He didn't even bother to pick up the phone and call them, but since he got arrested, it was best that I keep my kids away from him because of his behavior. I'm not saying he's a bad father, he's just haven't been there as much," she explained, keeping her composure in check.

"So how come you didn't suggest marriage counseling? Or even have Shane attend anger management? You didn't even wanna try to save your marriage," Michael said in a condescending tone.

Marissa shot him a scowl. "Why would I want to save a marriage when Shane didn't want to save it? I told you before that I don't condone cheating by any means. If I had known that my husband was sleeping with someone else as soon as I found out the first time, I'd thrown him out of the house and wouldn't look back. So, no, the marriage wouldn't have been saved because he'd keep going behind my back and sleeping with other women like he wouldn't care."

"Ms. Mazzola, it seems to me that you're jealous that the other women had your husband while you were too busy being a mom," Michael said, smiling smugly.

Marissa just smiled. "Well, I wouldn't be standing there acting all smug, counselor. Because on one of the sex tapes I looked at, my ex-husband was engaging in sexual acts with your wife and another woman!"

Everyone in the courtroom was in complete shock of what Marissa just revealed. Shane slumped down in his seat; completely embarrassed and humiliated because his ex-wife just had to tell everyone that he slept with his lawyer's wife and felt like a idiot for even filming it. He had no idea that Marissa would even get a copy of the tape, much less watch what went down. It was all too much for him to take at this point.

As for Kenny, his anger reached new heights. He couldn't believe the bitch would think of him as being unstable. He was beyond pissed to the point of no return. Everything he had worked hard for; from getting his job back, teaming up with Shane, trying to get Maria back, even stabbing her at Wrestlemania was going up in smoke and he didn't like it one bit. He'd be damned if he'll end up in jail. He'll never forgive anyone for making his life miserable.

"Ms. Mazzola, there's no way that you have a sex tape of my client having sex with my wife," Michael said, looking confident but a little bit worried.

Marissa still smiled. "Oh, I do. In fact, I took the liberty of bringing the tapes here in the courtroom for everyone to see. Why don't we take a look at them, shall we?"

Judge Young nodded at the bailiff, who then pushed 'play' on the DVD player. The screen was blue for a moment before the first images of three people having sex in a seedy motel appeared on screen. And, sure enough, it was Shane having kinky threesome sex with his lawyer's wife Gia Harris and her best friend Violet Williams, a New York socialite with killer curves and a wild reputation to match.

Michael stood in front the courtroom; his mouth agape and his face went ten shades of red. Yeah, he was that shocked and more importantly, pissed off. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. His wife, the woman he loved more than anything in the world was having sex with his client, the man who paid him a lot of money to make this case go away. And, to add insult to injury, his wife's best friend was a willing participant in their illicit activities. The defense attorney was getting ready to pass out.

To further prove that her ex-husband was nothing more than a notorious man whore, Marissa showed more footage of Shane having sex with current and former divas of the WWE; sometimes engaging in threesomes and even forcing the women to perform oral sex on him right in front of the camera. And when the night was finished, he'd throw them out of his room like they were trash; breaking their fragile little hearts.

"I-I have no further questions, your honor," Michael said before he turned on his heel and walked back to his table, not looking at Shane and Kenny. He was still in shock and appalled of seeing his wife and her best friend having sex with his client.

"We will resume this tomorrow at 10:00am. Court is adjourned," judge Young said as he banged his gavel and got up from the bench. Everyone began to file out of the court room, leaving Shane, Kenny and Michael sitting at the table. Silence filled the air.

"Look, Michael, I didn't know that was your wife on the tape. I was only supposed to have sex with her best friend Violet, but Gia got involved and what was I supposed to do? And, besides, they're both beautiful and I couldn't help myself," Shane said, breaking the silence and trying to look innocent.

"What's done is done. There's nothing you can do to change it. Which is why I'm gonna have to recuse myself as your lawyer," Michael said as he got up and began gathering his things.

"What? You can't be serious! You can't do this!" Shane screamed as he bolted from his seat. Kenny did the same thing; still angry that he was being dragged in this mess.

"I'm serious, gentlemen. And, besides, you're fighting a losing battle anyway. The evidence against you is pretty much overwhelming. The best thing for you two is find another lawyer and plead out. Otherwise, I can't help you anymore," Michael replied as he grabbed his briefcase and started heading out of the court room.

"Look, man, I paid you a lot of money to get us off and you're just gonna drop us like a bad habit? I don't think so!" Shane shouted, his face red with anger.

"Sorry, but you don't have the authority to yell at me anymore. As for you, Kenny, those bogus lawsuits you got going, I'm filing papers to have them dropped immediately. You don't have a leg to stand on because the evidence against you is irrefutable. Good luck, gentlemen," Michael said before he walked out of the courtroom and out of their lives once and for all.

"I can't fucking believe this shit! What are we gonna do now?" Kenny screamed as he and Shane were both headed back to their cells in shackles.

"We're find another lawyer. And we're gonna keep fighting this mess, even if we have to do it ourselves. This isn't over," Shane replied, trying to sound convincing.

Kenny glared at the man who brought him into this mess in the first place. "You better do something about this. I'm not going to jail over this! Maria and the rest of those bitches need to pay for what they did to us! They should be on trial, not us!"

As he was being escorted back to his jail cell, Shane began to wonder if teaming up with Kenny was worth his sanity.

Or his livelihood.

X

_Johnson Residence_

_Los Angeles, California_

_May 4, 2011_

"How are you feeling, Lil' mama?" Dwayne asked, stroking her long red hair with his fingers and kissing her forehead gently.

Maria sighed deeply; happily laying in her boyfriend's arms as they lounged on the patio, the beaming sun dancing in the crystal clear water that surrounded his luxurious condo.

"Getting better each day. I'm just taking it one day at a time," she admitted, burying her face in his broad chest and lavishing a tender kiss there to assure him that she's okay.

"Well, you know, I'm always gonna be here for you, baby. Don't you worry about a thing. Having you in my home has been a blessing," he told her, laying his chin on top of her head and smiling softly. He still counts his blessings that she was here, laying his arms, alive and well after everything she's endure over the last few months.

For Maria, getting better physically and emotionally has been her number one priority. She stared physical therapy earlier today and so far, so good. Even though it proved to be stressful on her first day of rehabilitation, she went in and came out a trooper in the end. And now she was determined to get back on her feet by any means necessary.

As far as her emotional well being was concerned, she still has some nagging issues to conquer. She continues to go to counseling two times a week to figure out how to overcome her insecurities and she began to realize that she didn't cause Shane and/or Kenny to act so cruel towards her. Something must've happened in their past that caused them to act the way they were acting. The only person she has to be responsible for is herself and that's something she's also determined to overcome in the long run.

Vince McMahon was kind enough to pay for her rehabilitation and even made sure that she still had a job with WWE when she finally comes back. However, Maria was beginning to question if she still wants to continue her career as a diva. She looked up at her loving boyfriend, who was staring lovingly at her and realized that he's has it made. He's not the first wrestler to make a transition to Hollywood, but he's the first man who has made a successful transition to being a big time actor. She began to wonder if she should think about a future outside of World Wrestling Entertainment.

"What's on your pretty little mind, baby?" Dwayne asked, whispering against her soft red tresses.

"I'm starting to question whether I should go back to wrestling or maybe I should think about what I want to do outside of it," she admitted softly.

"Really? Wait, I remember you telling me that you want to pursue a music career at some point," he reminded her as they both got up from the lounge chair. He scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her, bridal style, in the house. He placed her on the living room sofa and kneeled down in front of her, grabbing her feet and began massaging them gently.

"Yeah. I think I'm gonna go ahead and do that. I wanna be able to do something different. I'm worried about what would happen if I go back to wrestling. I almost died and the whole world saw it. I'm 30-years old and I still have a lot to achieve in my life. So, yeah, I wanna do music. I wanna write and produce my own album," she confessed laying back in bliss because Dwayne was massaging her feet and he was treating her like a queen. Being with him has been one of the proudest moments in her life. She never felt anything like this in her life.

"Well, you got my support all the way, Lil' mama. In fact, I happen to have friends who are big time players in the music industry. I can give them call and make it happen," he told her with a smile on his handsome face.

"Really? You would do that for me? I don't know what to say," Maria said, looking surprised and elated that her man would do this for her.

He leaned over and captured her lips with his in a searing kiss. He pulled back and looked into her beautiful hazel eyes, his smile never leaving his face.

"Baby, just do me one favor: go into the studio, lay the smack down and put out the best album of your life," Dwayne assured her as he continued to massage her feet.

Maria realized that her life was complete. She has a man who give up the world for her, a loving family, a new lease on life and a chance to become even much better than she was before.

Who would've thought that bumping into the Rock backstage at RAW three months ago would lead them to the life they were now happily living together?

No one could predicted it.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Shane and Kenny's trial draws to a dramatic close. Do they find a new lawyer in time to continue fighting or is it finally all over? Will Michael confront his wife about the sex tape(s)? And Maria makes a heart wrenching decision about her wrestling career. Will her decision make her happy in the end? Stay tuned!**

**Did you like the twist I had about Shane's lawyer and his wife? What do you think about that one?**

**Only three chapters left. Keep voting!**

**Please review!**


	13. Closing arguments

**Holy cow, I actually updated a lot sooner. I knew that you would like Marissa's testimony in the last chapter and now I'm gonna go ahead and drop another shocking bombshell concerning Kenny and his past relationships with Maria and Mickie. This will go to show how much a psycho he really is. And, with only two chapters left in this story (including an epilogue), I need you to keep voting because I'm really going to close the poll after this chapter. **

**One more thing, I've decided to delete **_**Hurting, Healing and Loving **_**because I've lost my direction for the story. I've been enthralled with the CM Punk/AJ Lee love saga and I want to jump on the bandwagon with a brand new story, which is out right now. It's called **_**A Second Chance at Love**_** and I hope you get the chance to check it out.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Houston, Texas_

_May 5, 2011_

Shane and Kenny were brought back into the courtroom in shackles; both of them looking completely disheveled and they were also sporting suspicious bruises on their faces. It's been an emotional few weeks for them and things couldn't possibly get any worse for them, especially after yesterday's shocking testimony courtesy of Shane's ex-wife Marissa and the sex tapes that shook the foundation of the trial.

Before the trial could resume, however, Michael, Shane and Kenny's now former lawyer, has recused himself because after witnessing the sexual encounter involving Shane, his wife Gia and her best friend Violet, Michael was pretty much done with everything surrounding the people in his life. So much so that after he left court, he went home and confronted his wife about her infidelity, which of course she quickly denied any wrong doing. But, after showing her the sex tape involving her, his former client and Violet, Gia knew the gig was up. She had no other choice but to confess that she did had sex with Shane and that she was very sorry.

Michael wasn't trying to hear it. He kicked her out of the condo they shared and told her that she could go and live with Violet as far as he's concerned. Afterwards, he immediately filed for divorce and since he was smart enough to draw up a pre nuptial agreement between them before they got married, he could be able to use that against her; meaning that she would most likely end up with absolutely nothing when it's all said and done.

As for Shane and Kenny, as soon as they were back in the slammer, they were both ganged up on by fellow inmates; beating them within an inch of their lives and pushing them around like savages; much like what Shane and Kenny had done to the women in their lives. It seems that the duo getting their asses kicked behind bars were just the beginning of their downfall.

Court resumed yesterday at 10:00am and this time, Alicia was called to testify; giving her detailed account on her turbulent 'relationship' with Shane and how bad he treated her. She even went on to describe, with tears streaming down her face of how Shane sexually assaulted her in one of his rages and that he threatened to kill her if she ever said anything to anyone. Alicia even described how Shane wanted to make Maria jealous by making out with the African American beauty right in front of the Greek Goddess, but when that backfired on him not once, but twice, Shane took his anger and frustration out on her.

Furthermore, Alicia even made a shocking admission on the stand; that she once had a regretful drunken one night stand with Kenny when the superstars and divas went to a local night club after the show. Alicia explained that she and Kenny were extremely drunk and ended up back his room and ended up having sex without the thought of using protection, but Alicia remembered that she's on birth control, so she didn't end up pregnant, which was a relief.

When they both woke up naked, in the same bed the next morning, Kenny not only punched her dead in her face, but he threw her out of his hotel room buck naked and threatened to cut up her pretty little face if she breathed one word to anyone about what happened between them.

To make matters worse, this happened around the time that he was still engaged to Mickie and Alicia was training down south in Florida.

Shane and Kenny's new lawyer, a brash and cocky criminal defense attorney from San Francisco named Tyrone Young, did everything he could to try and discredit Alicia, but his efforts proved to be futile. The beautiful African American diva's testimony proved to be very compelling and damaging; furthering the prosecutor's assumption that the case was pretty much open and shut.

Mickie also took the stand and testified; describing in grim detail about her engagement to Kenny, how he treated her and how she was able to get out of the abusive relationship. She described how he would beat her every single day; sometimes for no reason at all and that he threatened to kill her if she ever left him. However, Mickie also described how she kept catching him having sex with another woman, but that didn't stop him from hurting and threatening her.

The final straw came when Mickie caught Kenny having sex with a ring rat in a hotel room they shared in Portland, Maine. Mickie finally had enough of everything and took the engagement ring off and threw it at him. Then she grabbed her things and ended up getting another hotel room across town just to get away from him.

Mickie also described how Kenny wouldn't stop harassing her after she finally had the courage to break up with him. Up until he ended up dating Maria, Mickie had been receiving constant text messages from Kenny; belittling her, calling her every single name in the book and constantly threatening to throw her in the river and making sure no one would find her if he finally got her alone. It got so bad that Mickie ended up having to go to Vince about her ex's violent behavior. She even made sure that the boss got proof of what Kenny has been doing to her by showing him the text messages and the injuries she documented through Polaroid photos of the abuse she had suffered.

Mickie didn't know whether or not to press criminal charges against him because she didn't want any negative publicity dampening the company's name. Lord knows the WWE has been receiving a lot of bad press over the years. So, Vince had Kenny transferred over to SmackDown to avoid anymore incidents.

And that's where he continued his terror by dating Maria.

Kenny was beyond pissed off. He couldn't believe his bitch of a ex-fiancee would spill the beans about their personal lives. He was beyond pissed, beyond furious and he looked like he was getting ready to commit a mass murder in the United States.

He was too far gone to go back to being normal again.

And Shane wasn't too far behind.

Now, as they took their places at their respective table, they knew that the end was near. Both of them sat down and slumped down in their seats while their incompetent lawyer Tyrone began preparing for his closing argument. Shane and Kenny still couldn't believe that their lives were pretty much ruined. Everything they had worked so hard for went down the drain and they don't have anyone to blame but themselves.

"All rise," the bailiff called out a moment later. Everyone in the courtroom stood up as judge Young appeared from the behind the judges' chambers and took his place at the bench. He sat down in his seat, causing everyone in the courtroom to sit down right along with the presiding judge.

"At this time, the court is ready to hear any closing arguments, starting with the People," judge Young announced, just as Greg stood up and straightened out his tie. He then cleared his throat and approached the jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I've been a prosecutor for over 20 years and I've never seen a case like this. Two men, from opposite sides of the world, believed that they could team up to take down anyone who dare stood in their way. Well, their efforts backfired big time. They teamed up in order to lure a beautiful young woman into their web of lies, deceit, betrayal, pain and suffering. Well, they did accomplish something, ladies and gentlemen: they ruined the lives of the people who crossed them. For Shane McMahon, he not only ruined the lives of his ex-wife, his two beautiful sons and his entire family, he also ruined the lives of the women who fell for his charms and believed he was a good man, like Victoria Crawford, Lilian Garcia and more importantly, Maria Kanellis. For Ken Doane, he ruined the lives of his ex-fiancee, whom he physically, sexually, verbally and emotionally abused for his sick pleasure, but he also ruined the life of Maria, whose life was nearly taken at his hands; because he was doing the exact same thing to her.

Now, you have to ask yourself: why would I acquit those two men, especially after all the hurt, the anguish and the suffering they caused to those individuals? Because they did just that; they hurt so many people and didn't have any shred of remorse in their very soul. And, so, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to take a look a Shane and Kenny and you will see for yourself that they have to take responsibility for their actions. They need to take responsibility for their actions. And they should be held accountable for their wrongdoing. If not, then all of our lives would forever be in danger. Find them guilty so that we could teach anyone a lesson about hurting the ones we love. Thank you," Greg said before he turned on his heel and walked back to his table, just as Tyrone got up from the defense's table, straightened out his tie and approached the jury with a determined look on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, let me remind you that Shane and Kenny are just as much the victims of a witch hunt that has bestowed on them. Do you really think that finding them guilty and sending them to jail will solve anything? In my personal opinion, no. They need help and only you, the jury, can provide the proper help they so desperately need right now. Beside, as their previous lawyer stated, Maria Kanellis is just as much as guilty for her actions. If only she would've given Mr. McMahon a chance, maybe we wouldn't be here today. And, as for Mr. Doane, I will admit that he was wrong for putting his hands on her and his ex-fiancee, but this man has suffered big time. He lost his job, his family, his reason for living, just because he wouldn't leave well enough alone and let Maria live her life. He snapped, but he wasn't in his right state of mind when he stabbed her in front of 70,000 people. And Shane wasn't in his right state of mind when he was caught having sex with several female employees, his former lawyer's wife and her wild socialite best friend. Both of these men are victims and should be treated as such.

Now, I know you will do the right thing and find them not guilty. I know you will do the right thing by getting them help. Because both of them don't belong behind bars. They belong in a facility where they can the proper help they deserve. Don't find them guilty, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you," Tyrone made his closing argument, then he turned on his heel and headed back to his seat. Everyone in the courtroom were engaging in hushed conversations about what the verdict could be and how many people's lives will be affected by it.

"Thank you very much for your closing arguments. And, now, the jury will go into deliberations. Court will resume when the jury reaches a unanimous verdict. Court in adjourned," judge Young declared as he banged his gravel, got up from his chair and disappeared into the judges' chambers. Shane and Kenny watched as the six man, six woman jury filed out of the courtroom.

"So what happens now?" Kenny huffed, still looking angry as he was being pulled up by the bailiff.

Shane just shook his head as he stood up from his seat. "We wait and see what the jury says. There's still a chance we could beat this thing."

"Guys, don't worry so much about the verdict. If you two are found guilty, I'm gonna immediately file an appeal. Besides, the jury have a lot to consider and a lot of so called evidence to go over. We could still win this," Tyrone assured his clients. He followed and watched as Shane and Kenny were escorted out of the courtroom and they were immediately mobbed by reporters from all over the country; asking them all kinds of questions about the trial and what their predictions should be.

Shane and Kenny kept their heads down; not wanting to talk to anyone about their ordeal. They got into an unmarked van and headed back towards the county jail, where they have to wait to see what the verdict's gonna be.

Will the verdict set them free or will it ruin their lives forever?

Only time will tell.

X

_Johnson Residence_

_Miami, Florida_

_May 5, 2011_

Dwayne and Maria were currently relaxing in his Miami beach house, laying in each other's arms as the sun beamed down on their genetically fit bodies. They decided to be there because one, Dwayne was filming a new movie and two, Maria was healthy enough to travel again. Her family felt that she was in really good hands, so they decided to fly back home; promising the Greek goddess that they will keep in touch and if she ever needs anything, they should be the first ones to call.

It's been so long since she's been able to just be out of the house and walking around like a normal person, but she was still in physical therapy, so she had to take it easy one step at a time. Relaxing her mind, body and soul has become one of her favorite pastimes as of late.

Last night, as they were laying in bed with their arms around each other, she came to a heart wrenching decision; she has decided to leave the WWE for good and focus on her music career. She decided to take it seriously after meeting with a record producer at a industry party she and Rocky were invited to and during her physical therapy, she started writing her own material to pass the time. It didn't take her long to come up with a song that reflects her life.

Maria looked up at Dwayne and smiled. He was looking down at her and returned her smile with one of his own; showing off his pearly whites. He leaned over and planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Everything okay, baby?" he asked softly.

She snuggled closer to him and sighed contentedly. "Everything's fine as long as I have you."

"I love you, Maria Jade Kanellis," he told her.

"I love you, too, Dwayne Douglas Johnson," she replied as she reached up and pulled him down for a deep passionate kiss. He moaned in her mouth and snaked his arms around her more tightly; feeling her bikini clad body pressing closer to his hard body. She squealed with delight when he cupped her perfectly rounded ass with his large hands. Before long, she ended up sitting on his lap; straddling him and feeling his growing bulge brushing up against her.

Moaning softly, she started rocking on his lap slowly, feeling the temperature building in the pit of her stomach. Dwayne grunted as he reached behind her and cupped her ass with his hands. Maria threw her head back and cried out his name when he started sucking on her neck gently; leaving a mark on her skin and claiming her as his.

Before long, they both began removing each other's clothing; with the sun beaming down on their nude bodies. Dwayne ended up laying her down on the lounge chair and climbed right on top of her. Maria moaned again when he parted her legs with his hands and got settled between them. It's been a while since they've been intimate with one another and they don't want to waste another minute of their coupling.

Screw foreplay. They went right in for the home run.

He slid inside of her slowly and carefully; making sure that she wasn't hurting. Another moan escaped her perfectly pouted lips as he started thrusting inside of her; wrapping her legs over his back and gripping her hips with his hands. Dwayne was careful not to hurt her, but the need to be within his girlfriend has been crucial, to say the least. He never thought in a million years that he'd be able to make love to her once again.

Maria closed her eyes and smiled; feeling more alive than she felt a long time ago. As her man continued to make love to her in the privacy of his patio, she felt a single tear falling from her eye.

She felt nothing but something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Peace.

**Coming up in the next chapter: The verdict comes in. Will Shane and Kenny be found guilty or not guilty? Will Maria show up in court to make an impact statement? And will Rock and Maria's relationship continue to flourish? Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	14. Impact statement

**Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I have closed the poll and this is the moment you've all been waiting for: the much anticipated verdict concerning Shane and Kenny. I've decided to add a twist concerning their sentencing and I think you'll like it. Also, I've decided to have Maria make an impact statement so that she could finally have some closure. I want her and Rock to be able to have a happy relationship in the long run.**

**One more thing, please take the time to read my brand new story 'A Second Chance at Love', starring CM Punk and AJ Lee. So far, I've gotten a lot of love for that story and I hope to get more in the long run. I have big plans concerning those two and I'm just getting started.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Houston, Texas_

_May 8__th__, 2011_

Kenny and Shane were both brought back into the courtroom after the jury announced that they have reached an unanimous verdict; after only eight hours of deliberations. Both of them, who were sporting fresh bruises on their faces, took their places at the defenses' table, with Tyrone waiting for them with an unsure, but confident smile on his smug little face. However, Kenny and/or Shane weren't so confident as they sat down gingerly at the table. Based on the hell they've been thorough, they couldn't find it in their hearts to have confidence.

Throughout the trial, both of them have been railroaded, embarrassed, humiliated and downright betrayed by the people who dared crossed them just because the ultimate consumption of greed, ego, control and wanting to be on top of the world ended up overpowering them in the long rung and, most importantly, ended up destroying them.

And even though there was a glimmer of hope of them getting acquitted, the fact of the matter is, they pretty much lost the war. It was a tug of war between Shane, Kenny and Dwayne and in the end, the 'people's champion' emerged the winner because he won Maria's heart. And that hurt the two other parties involved so much.

Shane looked over his shoulder and was surprised to find his entire family sitting together on the other side of the courtroom. Even more surprising, Maria, Dwayne, Alicia, Mickie, Lilian and Marissa were sitting in front of the McMahon family. And even more shocking was his former lawyer Michael and his soon-to-be-ex-wife Gia sitting together in front of the ladies and Dwayne.

It was becoming too much for him to take.

"Kenny, look over your shoulder," the elder McMahon whispered to his co-conspirator.

Kenny looked over his shoulder and his face contorted in pure anger at the people who pretty much ruined his life were sitting on the left side of the courtroom.

"They have some fucking nerve showing up! Why must they rub their noses at us?" Kenny hissed angrily.

"Look, man, don't worry about them. Focus on the verdict. This could make or break us," Tyrone reminded his clients.

"You know what's serious fucked up about this? Michael and his wife showed up! What's the point of them being here? Last I heard, he threw her out of the house and filed for divorce," Shane explained, looking solemn.

"Like I said before, don't worry about them. Worry about the verdict and what the aftermath is gonna be," Tyrone said just as the door opened and judge Young came out of his chambers and took his place as his table and sat down, just as the rest of the courtroom sat down along with him.

"Have the jury reached a verdict?" he asked, getting right to the point.

A jury foreman stood up and clasped his hands together. "We have, your honor."

The bailiff went over to the jury box and grabbed a piece of paper from the foreman, then he handed the folded piece of paper over to the judge, who unfolded the paper, read the verdict and then sat the piece of paper down on the table.

"Will the defendants please rise?" judge Young asked, for which Shane, Kenny and their lawyer rose from their chairs.

"I would like to remind the ladies and gentlemen of the courtroom that when the verdict is read, please refrain from making any kind of reaction until after the verdict is read. Also, please refrain from attacking the defendants or making any sudden movements. Otherwise, you will be found in contempt of court," he reminded everyone in the courtroom. Then he turned his attention towards six man, six woman jury and took off his reading glasses.

"On two counts count of attempted murder in the first degree, what is your verdict?" judge Young asked the jury foreman.

"We the jury, find the defendants, Kenneth James Doane and Shane Brandon McMahon, guilty," the jury foreman announced.

Maria and Alicia held hands and let out a sigh of relief because justice has been served. Both of them will be able to go on with their lives; knowing that Shane and Kenny will be going to jail for a long time.

"On two counts of making criminal threats in the first degree, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty as charged."

"On two counts of sexual assault in the first degree, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty."

"On ten counts of assault in the first degree, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty.

"And on six counts of stalking and menacing in the first degree, what is your verdict?"

"Guilty."

_I'm free. I'm truly free. I can live my life without having to look over my shoulder again. And, besides, I have a strong, loving, caring boyfriend to protect me, _Maria thought, tears streaming down her olive toned skin. After all the hell she's been through, after all the pain and suffering her ex-boyfriend and the boss's son inflicted on her, she was happy for the first time in a long time. She looked over her shoulder and saw Shane and Kenny arguing amongst themselves and their incompetent lawyer trying to calm them down.

"You won't have to worry about them hurting you ever again, Lil' mama," Dwayne whispered in her ear, then he lavished a tender kiss on her cheek as she looked him with a huge smile on her face.

"I love you," she whispered at him. He raised her hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly.

"I love you, too, baby," he replied, smiling at her.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the court thanks you for your valuable time. Sentencing will take place July 29th, 2011. Until then, the defendants will be remanded to the state correctional facility. Court in adjourned," judge Young declared as he banged his gavel and got up from his bench. Then, he disappeared in the judges' chambers as the jury started filing out of the courtroom.

Shane and Kenny was once again handcuffed and they were being escorted back to their cells. Before they could be escorted out of the courtroom for possibly the last time, the duo looked over their shoulders and saw the McMahon family embracing the survivors and exchanging apologies and well wishes.

"Can you believe this bullshit?" Kenny asked, anger boiling in his veins.

Shane didn't say a word. He didn't have to say a word. His posture and the solemn look on his face said it all. Before long, the bailiff grabbed both of their arms and proceeded to drag them right out of the courtroom; realizing that they truly lost the war and they can't change a damn thing.

Meanwhile, Maria and Dwayne were hugging the McMahon family and feeling relief and happiness flooding in their bodies. Being able to breath again and living their lives were something that they both been longing ever since the drama took over their lives.

"Maria, I'm glad things worked out for you," Vince said as he embraced the now former diva.

"Thanks, Mr. McMahon. I really appreciated it. I'm just sorry your family's name has been smeared because of Shane's stupidity," she replied as they pulled apart.

"Don't worry about it, honey. Shane's had some problems pretty much all his life. I've done everything I could to help him, but it was no use for me to even help him anymore. I didn't raise him to treat women like they were nothing," he replied, sighing deeply.

"I think prison will most likely giving him the help he needs. Same thing with Kenny. I think something happened in his past may caused him to hurt me and several women along the way," she said, running her fingers through his long red hair.

"It doesn't matter. What he did was wrong. Now I see why Mickie was so afraid of him. Hell, I can see why you were so afraid of him," Vince said, reaching over to hug her again. Maria smiled because even though the boss can be an asshole at times, he does care about the safety and well being of the superstars and divas.

"You're right, Mr. McMahon. It doesn't matter. Shane and Kenny both got what they deserve. I can finally move on," Maria said, leaning over and kissing the older's man cheek before she ended up leaving the courtroom with Dwayne, who had his arm around her waist so that she could lean on him. Within minutes, only Linda, Vince and Stephanie were left standing.

"Daddy, what happens now?" Stephanie, the only daughter of the McMahon asked as she squeezed both of her parents' hands.

Vince sighed deeply. "I don't know, baby girl. But, I do know this: Shane maybe my son and your brother, but I'm done with this. It's time for the McMahon family to move on and move on we shall do. And we're gonna do it without Shane. He has smeared, damaged and ruined the McMahon's name and reputation for the last time."

"Are we really gonna cut him out of our lives, dear?" Linda asked, looking at her husband with concern dancing in her eyes.

"Do we really have any other choice?" he asked as they headed out of the courtroom, leaving behind the lingering questions and nagging doubts of how the trial would turn out for Shane and Kenny.

The past shall remain in the past. It's time for everyone who has been victimized by those two clowns to move on and live their lives to the best of their ability.

X

_Texas Supreme Court_

_Sentencing Hearing_

_Houston, Texas_

_July 29__th__, 2011_

Shane and Kenny were brought into the courtroom, this time, they were wearing their orange jumpsuits and looking completely disheveled. This is the first time they've been in the same courtroom since the verdicts came out over two months ago and since then, both of them had been staying in separate cells at the correctional facility and were forbidden to have any sort of communication with one another. Furthermore, neither one of them had any visitors coming to see them; which wasn't surprising considering all the hell they put so many through. For Kenny, at least, he thought his family would finally pulled the crap out of their asses and come see them, but they made it clear to him that they don't wanna have anything to do with him ever again.

It was apparent that Mickie's former fiancé and Maria's ex-boyfriend that he was completely and utterly disowned by his family.

Shane was faring no better. Shortly after he was found guilty, his life continued to go downhill. Marissa took him to court and got his parental rights taken away, his trust fund and inheritance was officially revoked by Vince, who also had taken his son's name out of the will, the sex tapes he made with his former lawyer's wife, her socialite best friend and several other women; including former and current divas, made their way onto the internet and became the number one trending topic on several social media web sites.

Furthermore, and in a truly shocking move, Shane's former lawyer, Michael Harris somehow managed to profit from the sex tapes by getting a hold of the original copies, made duplicates and finally selling them online on a website he created. Within minutes of the tapes made available to download and purchase, they were sold out; proving that you can profit from someone's personal dilemma.

Shane and Kenny took their places at the table and just stood there, not looking at each other. Tyrone patted both of his clients on their shoulder; trying to reassure them that it's not over yet. The young lawyer knew that it was over, but his smug face didn't show it because he looked like he was still fighting to make things right for his clients.

It was too late, though. Everything that those three had worked so hard for has blown up in their faces. Big time.

"All rise," the bailiff announced, for which everyone in the courtroom rose from their seats. Judge Young appeared from the judges' chambers and took his place at the judge's bench. He ended up sitting down, for which the entire courtroom followed suit.

"We're here for the sentencing hearing for Kenneth Doane and Shane McMahon. You two have been convicted of numerous charges; including attempted murder, stalking, menacing and sexual assault. But, before I can hand down my ruling, I understand that there's a impact statement to be made," judge Young said, getting right to the point.

Greg, the state's prosecutor, stood up from his chair and cleared his throat. "Yes, your honor. The People calls Ms. Maria Kanellis to the stand."

Maria got up from the bench and walked toward the bench. Her physical therapy has improved her walking mobility so much that she's no longer using a wheelchair. Instead, she's using a walking cane because her left knee was still bothering her a bit, but otherwise, she continues to do well. Furthermore, since going to counseling, her nightmares has become few and far in between and she's been getting better sleep with the help of her loving and sexy boyfriend.

The Greek goddess took her place at the bench and sat down. After clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, she got comfortable and felt her body relax.

"Ms. Kanellis, how are you feeling today?" judge Young asked, his face sincere.

She looked up at him with a tainted smile on her face. "I'm doing better, your honor. I'm just taking this one day at a time."

"That's good to hear. With that being said, if you're ready, please make your statement," he said before he turned his attention back towards the courtroom.

Maria cleared her throat one more time and kept her composure in check. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I didn't think I was gonna be sitting here today, saying what I have to say about the two men who pretty much ruined my life and the lives of my friends. I didn't think I was gonna be able to have my day in court because of the two men who tried to silence me and my friends. I didn't think I was gonna be here alive at all. Well, on this day, I'm alive and well. I'm healthy and sound and I'm able to speak my mind. It feels good to know that I have a voice and I'm not afraid to use it.

Shane McMahon, because of your treachery, your unhealthy obsession toward my and my female friends and because of your insistence of asserting your dominance and power over anyone who crosses your path, I'll never be the same again. Because of you, I've had nightmares about the hell you put me through and the fear of being able to trust another man still hurts me. However, the one thing you didn't take away from me is my faith, the love and strength of my family and friends and I do have a man who not only loves me unconditionally, but I can trust him with my life. I'm not gonna let you ruin my life any further by intimidating me, ridiculing me and reducing me down to nothing. I'm a beautiful, strong and healthy human being. So, you lose.

As for you, Kenny Doane, you don't mean anything to me. I loved you once, but after what you had done to me, to Mickie and to Alicia, I have no respect for you, whatsoever. You hurt so many women in your lives that what you did is irreparable. How many more lives had you had to ruin in order to get what you want? Did something happen in your past that caused you to become abusive? You know what, it doesn't matter because what happened in the past doesn't excuse your behavior. I found a man who not only loves me, but would give up his life just to make sure I'm safe and sound. And I'm safe from the likes of you. I really do hope that you get some help because at this point, you only got yourself to rely on.

And, in closing, as far as I'm concerned, justice has been served. Even if they don't get jail time, Shane and Kenny will pay for everything they have done to me and my friends. They will forever ruined and they'll always be public enemy number one. As for me, my friends and my family, we'll continue to live our lives to the best of our abilities and continue being happy and healthy. I know I'll be happy, thanks to my boyfriend, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Thank you very much," Maria stated before she got up from the bench and headed back toward her seat next to her boyfriend and her family.

"Thank you, Ms. Kanellis. Before I hand down my sentencing, does the defendants have anything to say at this time?" judge Young asked.

Tyrone stood up for a second and straightened out his tie. "At this time, your honor, my clients wishes not to make a statement."

"Very well, then. With that being said, will the defendants please stand up?" judge Young asked, clearing his throat. Shane and Kenny rose from their chairs and kept their heads down. The statement Maria made just moments ago kept lingering in their heads.

"Shane McMahon and Kenneth Doane, what you two did not only threatened the life of one female who didn't wanna have anything to do with you both anymore, but also threatened the lives of the people you dragged into your pitiful existence. Mr. McMahon, you also ruined your family's lives because of you wanting to satisfy your sexual desires; which ended up destroying you in the end. And, as for you, Mr. Doane, putting your hands on a woman, threatening her live and stalking her is something I don't tolerate or condone. You, sir, are nothing more than a coward. A coward that I would have no problem punishing," judge Young scolded harshly at the inmates. Kenny and Shane kept their heads down because they didn't want to deal with this any longer. They knew it was over.

"With that in mind, Shane Brandon McMahon, I hereby sentence you to 10 years in Texas state correctional facility for sexual assault, 10 years for stalking and menacing, 20 years for assault, 5 years for making criminal threats and battery and 20 years for first degree attempted murder. All in all, you will be serving the maximum sentence of sixty five years in prison," judge Young declared, glaring at the once smug heir of the McMahon fortune, writing something on his notepad to make sure he didn't miss anything. Shane didn't say a word. He was pretty much speechless.

"And, as for you, Kenneth Doane, I hereby sentence you to 15 years for sexual assault, 10 years for stalking and menacing, 25 years for assault and battery, 10 years for making criminal threats and 30 years for first degree attempted murder. All in all, you will be serving the maximum of 90 years in prison. Also, as a condition of your sentence, you will be required to serve your time in the psychiatric ward of the Texas state correctional facility and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Furthermore, the two defendants will not be permitted to have any contact with one other; otherwise your punishments will be more severe. Court is adjourned," judge Young declared as he banged his gavel.

Everyone in the courtroom started to stand up and began piling out as the stress of the trial finally began to flee from their bodies. Before long, Maria and Dwayne were the only ones left in the courtroom. The silence was deafening between them.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked as he reached over and wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed deeply.

"It's over. It's all over. I'm free of the nightmare, free of the fear, free of everything. It's like I can breath again," she mumbled into his broad chest.

"And you shall breath again. I want you to know that I love you and I'm proud of you making that statement today," he said as he reached down and tilted her head up with his finger. He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love dancing into them.

"I'm proud of me, too, Rocky. I was nervous at first, but after I opened my mouth, I knew I made a difference. And I have you to thank for being there for me," she replied, smiling brightly.

"You're welcome, Lil mama," he said as he leaned over and slanted his mouth on hers passionately.

As they embraced in the courtroom, Maria felt happy tears forming in her eyes. She was a brand new person and she couldn't be more prouder in her life than to have her man being there for her in her time of need.

In the end, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson not only won her heart, but he also won the tug of war.

Guaranteed.

**Coming up in the next chapter: The epilogue. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	15. A big announcement

**Well, ladies and gentlemen. This is it. We've come to the end of the road (no pun intended). But, I've had so much fun putting this story out for you and it was really a treat having Shane McMahon being portrayed as a bad guy. Believe me, this won't be the last time I'll be portraying him in that light. Who knows? Maybe I'll portray the entire McMahon family in a bad light in a future story.**

**One more thing, Rock/Maria has become one of my favorite parings and I'm so happy that so many of you embraced them as a couple. I already planned on using them again in the foreseeable future.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

_Wrestlemania 28_

_University of Miami Stadium_

_Miami, Florida_

_April 1__st__, 2012 (April Fool's Day)_

For Maria and Rock, Wrestlemania has brought their relationship full circle.

The genetically gifted duo were anxious and excited for this year's Wrestlemania for many reason; for one, they recently celebrated their one year anniversary of being together by having a romantic candlelight dinner in his Miami beach home and Maria officially moving in with her man because she couldn't stand to be away from him for even one second. Secondly, they also celebrated the release of Maria's debut album _Rock On, _which was certified gold and established the Chicago native as a premier musical superstar. She was enjoying life outside of the ring.

Thirdly, it's been almost a year since Shane and Kenny went to jail and things have quieted down among the WWE universe. For Maria, it felt so good to know that she can go to sleep at night and not have any nightmares. It felt so good to be able to go out and not have to look over her shoulder because she has Dwayne to protect her. And it felt so good to be loved and cherished honestly, truthfully and throughly. Never again will she has to live in fear.

Dwayne has his own reasons for being happy. He planned a special surprise for his girlfriend following his match with John Cena tonight. A surprise that could change both of their lives forever. He never thought in a million years that he would be able to find love again after his divorce, but love works in mysterious ways and when he accidently bumped into the redheaded beauty a little over a year ago, he waved the white flag. He fell in love with her right then and there. And he never looked back.

The couple were happily lounging in his locker room; cuddling on the sofa with their arms around each other. He kept peppering her with sweet kisses and tiny nibbles on her neck and shoulders, making her giggle.

"Rocky, come on. Don't you have a match to prepare for?" Maria laughed as he kept nibbling on her.

"Mmm, what match?" he murmured in her ear as he ran his hands along her hips and thighs; caressing her tenderly.

"Whoa, cowboy. There's plenty of time for us to do that later. Right now, you have to go lay the smackdown on John Cena, remember?" she playfully pushed him off of her. He looked at her with a playful pout and got up from the sofa, then he started doing jumping jacks to get his adrenaline pumping.

"You wanna go out to dinner after the show tonight? Miami's gonna be so full of life still," Dwayne suggested as he kept doing jumping jacks right in front of her. She could clearly see his perfectly shaped ass bouncing in rhythm as he kept exercising.

"I don't know. I'd rather just have a quiet evening at home with my favorite guy. But, like you said, after hour life here in Miami is pretty busy," Maria replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, we'll see what happens after the show. Speaking of which, I better get to the gorilla position. I'll see you later, Lil' mama," he said as he stopped doing jumping jacks, leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"Go knock 'em dead, champ," she encouraged him, winking at him with a mischievous grin on her gorgeous face.

"Something tells me I'll gonna end up on my back when the night's over with, you little vixen," he snickered as he headed towards the door.

"If you play your cards right, big boy. Now, go kick some ass!" she encouraged, laughing as she slapped him on his butt.

"Keep doing that and I'll never leave this room. You know what you do to me," he winked as he finally left the locker room.

Maria shook her head and kept laughing as she leaned back against the plush sofa, sighing in content. She never thought in a million years that she'd be happy again; to be carefree and live her life without any fear lurking in her veins. Dwayne was everything she wanted and needed in a man. He knows how to treat her right, he's a gentle and caring lover and he'll go through hell and high water to protect her. She had to thank her lucky stars that he came into her life like a breath of fresh air.

She hoped and prayed that she'll never stop being this happy in her life.

Little did she know, after tonight, she'll have a new reason to be insanely happy with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

And it'll be a night she'll never forget.

X

_Wrestlemania 28_

_University of Miami Stadium_

_Miami, Florida_

_April 1__st__, 2012 (April Fool's Day)_

The Rock stood in the middle of the ring; basking in the thunderous cheers of the Miami crowd as he raised his arm up in the air. Once again, with the love and support of his hometown fans, he pulled off another hard fought victory against John Cena and now he was celebrating by doing his signature pose on the turnbuckle. His smile was wide and perfect and his eyebrow arched up as a sign of triumph. It was indeed a good night for the great one.

However, he wasn't done yet. Thank God he was the main event. He had a huge surprise in store for his girlfriend and what better way to unleash his surprise than to do it in front of millions and millions of his devoted fans. He reached down towards the turnbuckle and grabbed the microphone off the mat, then he waited until the crowd quieted down so that he could speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Rock is here because I have a very important announcement to make. You see, the Rock has fallen in love with someone and she just happens to be a diva. A little over a year ago, a chance meeting backstage changed my life forever. I never thought in a million years that I would be able to find love again after my divorce, but this sexy little mama made me believe in love again. And she happens to be a diva. So, with that being said, I would like for Maria Jade Kanellis to come out here so that I could make my announcement," he said into the microphone.

Just then, Maria's theme song started playing and the bubbly redhead from Chicago came out through the curtains and into the enormous cheers of the crowd. Truth be told, she had no idea of what's going on but seeing her boyfriend standing in the middle of the ring, wearing that gorgeous smile on his face means only one thing.

He has something important to tell her and he wants the whole world to hear what he has to say.

Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, she began coming down the ramp; slapping hands with the fans and giving them her warm smile as she headed towards the ring. Maria ran up on the steel steps, for which the Rock was kind enough to open the ropes up for her to step through, for which she did. She winked at him as the time keeper handed her a microphone and waiting until the crowd stopped cheering.

"Okay, Rock, I'm here. What's your big announcement?" the Chicago native said, giving him a nervous smile.

"Maria, I assure you that I'm not breaking up with you. In fact, I hope that my announcement would have great ramifications for us," he told her, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"Okay, well, what do you have to say?" Maria asked, breathing heavily.

"Here goes: Maria, I'm so in love with you, it scares me sometimes. I never thought that I would be able to stand here today and call you my girl. Despite all that we've been through over the course of a year, you've made me into a better person. You believe in me, you trust me, you value me as a man and more importantly, a human being. You treat me as an equal and those are some of the reasons why I love you so much. So, I brought you out here, in front of the entire world, to simply ask...if you would do me the honor of being my wife," he said as he got down on one knee and pulled out a small black velvet box.

Maria gasped loudly as he opened the box and revealed a beautiful 4 carat diamond engagement ring. Tears started falling from her eyes as the enormous cheers of the crowd encouraged her to say 'yes'. Her heart pounded furiously in her throat and her mind was racing of what her life would be like if she was married to Dwayne. They would be a beautiful married couple; filled with nothing but love and happiness in their household. Their children would be beautiful, outgoing, loving, happy and healthy. She realized that she couldn't imaging her life without him.

"Maria, you're the air I breathe, the water I drink, the food I eat and the light in my eyes. Without you, I'm nothing. You brought me so much joy in my life and I can't imagine my life without you by my side every single day and every single night. So, Maria Jade Kanellis, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me, Lil' mama?" Dwayne asked, pouring his heart and soul into the marriage proposal he bestowed upon her.

She couldn't even speak. She was speechless. But she knew she had to give him an answer. So, she just nodded her head vigorously, silently letting him know that she was saying yes to him.

Rock was thrilled to the core. He slid the beautiful ring onto her finger before standing up. Then he reached over and gathered her into his strong arms. He twirled her around; laughing, crying and screaming at the top of his lungs while the 70, 000 plus Miami crowd erupted into a unanimous cheer for the newly engaged couple.

When he finally sat her down on her feet, they were still embracing in the middle of the ring. Both of them were crying at this point, but they didn't care. They were so happy. Life was good to them and there's no way in hell that anyone's gonna stand in their way.

Meanwhile, in a Texas State prison, Shane McMahon was watching Wrestlemania from his cell. He was literally sick to his stomach seeing Maria and the Rock becoming engaged in front of the entire world. He couldn't believe he wasn't there to stop this from happening, but that what happens when you think you're the king of the world.

Shane hated being in prison. He hated having to be told what to do, what to eat and what to wear 24/7. And the saddest part about this is that he's never gonna see the light of day again. The former heir of the McMahon empire is pretty much state property now.

In another cell, in the psych ward, sitting on the floor with his arms crossed over his chest and mumbling obscenities in an angry manner, Kenny was clearly pissed off. He had to witness his ex-girlfriend becoming engaged to the man who pretty much ruined his life. That should be him getting down on one knee and proposing to her in front of the entire world. That should be him crying like a little bitch when she accepts his proposal. And that should be him twirling her around in the middle of the ring; laughing, crying and being happy.

Instead, Kenny's behind bars; serving his sentence for what he had done to Maria and even Mickie. And since he was sent here, he's been deemed unstable and prone to lose his temper every five seconds. So much so that he ended up being put in solitary confinement for nearly beating another inmate to death. Having to be alone, with no one coming to see you every day was too much to bear.

Needless to say, it was over for him. Kenneth Doane was a lost cause.

And no one else seems to care.

X

_Johnson Residence_

_Miami, Florida_

_April 1__st__, 2012-April 2__nd__, 2012_

"Lil' mama, I think you're trying to kill me," Dwayne chuckled as he reached over and gathered his naked fiancee into his strong arms.

Maria just giggled. "Hey, I just wanna make sure my husband-to-be is satisfied, that's all. After all, you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"And more for me to love, baby," he grinned as he kissed her forehead gently.

"Well, I guess the next best thing for us to do is plan our wedding. How soon do you want it to happen?" she asked as they snuggled together in bed.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes or how much it'll cost. The only thing that matters to me is being able to call you my wife, Mrs. Johnson," he teased, kissing her forehead again.

"You're so sweet. And speaking of which, I think it's time for us to practice for our honeymoon," she grinned seductively as she proceeded to climb on top of him. Dwayne could only grin when she sunk down on him and began rocking her hips slowly.

It's been a whirlwind of a year for the newly engaged couple. And now, with the nightmare behind them, they can now focus on an incredible future together; filled with love, laughter, passion, romance and, of course, the excitement of starting a family together.

It was indeed a tug of war. However, in the end, the good guys proved to be victorious.

And it felt damn good to feel that way.

**The End!**

**Thank you again for loving this story and embracing it. Don't forget to read my current story **_**A Second Chance at Love **_**starring CM Punk and AJ Lee!**

**Please review!**


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